To Endy, With My Love
by Crystal Selena
Summary: A nameless fear sweeps across the universe of a growing evil, and it has focused its eyes on the moon. Serenity, possessing the most powerful Craft known, will risk everything to save those she loves. However, her marriage to Endymion starts to fall apart; trusts broken, doubt ensues. Yet she denies it, holds on to him, willing to forfeit millions of people, including herself.
1. The Premonition

Disclaimer:  
All standard disclaimers apply.

"To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world."  
— Bill Wilson

* * *

Endymion shivered in the howling rain and drew the cloak tighter around him. In the distance, he could see the lights of the small town.

"Sire!"

He turned his head to see his companion Artemis, a tough young man with the strength of an ox and a determination that rivaled Apollo himself. "What is it?"

"Sire, it's too dark and dangerous!" Artemis shouted back.

"I have to return to Serena!" Endymion said. "She's expecting me home tonight! Besides, Luna will be worried, too."

At the mention of Luna, Artemis fell silent. The two men dashed homebound, leaving in their wakes trails and spatters of mud. Endymion shook his head and wiped the rain away from his eyes, following the call of her heart.

When the two men finally arrived at their home, Endymion flew down his horse and handed the reins to Artemis.

"Don't worry, Sire," the groom assured his master. "I'll take care of these beasts. And tell Luna I'm home, please?"

Endymion laughed. "Yes, Artemis. Of course. Like always."

The master tugged on the keys that hung from his belt and tried the door. It was locked; he wasn't surprised. It had been raining quite hard for the last few days, and since neither he nor Artemis—the only men in the household—were home, Serena and Luna were wise to lock up the door.

Inserting the key, he shivered again in his drenched, cold condition. He tried to knob again and expected it to open. When it didn't, he frowned and fumbled with the other keys. Perhaps he had the wrong key, however unlikely that was. Well, he was tired and cold and hungry. He had an excuse for having the wrong key.

At that moment, the door opened, and he looked to see his beautiful wife standing there, a welcoming smile gracing her lips. For a few seconds, he simply stood there admiring his wife's splendor, until she threw herself into his arms.

"Sweetheart," he sighed, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. "Bunny, I'm completely wet. You'll catch a chill."

"I don't care," came her reply from somewhere muffled in his cloak.

Endymion held his wife closer and tilted her head up to kiss her. She obliged his wish, slipping her arms around his neck, twining her fingers in his hair. Groaning, he forced himself away, looking down on her smiling face.

Serena sighed. "I'm glad you're home, Endy. I missed you."

"I missed you, too," he kissed her again.

She took his hand and led him through the hall to the corridor upstairs. Opening the door of the very last room, she went to a linen closet and pulled out dry clothes for him. "In the bathroom there's a tub of warm water waiting," she called over her shoulder. "Have you had supper yet?"

"No, not yet."

She smiled at him across their bedroom. "Dinner awaits you, then. I cooked it myself."

"Thank you."

She blushed and nodded. She had never gotten used to the way he could make a simple note of thanks into such an elaborate, heartwarming tradition. When he disappeared into the bathroom, she went to the kitchen and helped Luna prepare the dishes and bring them to the table.

"The little man hasn't been any trouble to you, has he?" Serena asked as she added the finishing touch to the soup and scooped it out of the kettle.

"No, not at all," Luna reassured her. "He fell asleep as soon as he had lunch. He hasn't woken up since."

"That's good," Serena said with a laugh. "Leto can be such a pain sometimes."

"Now, now," Luna chided her mistress. "Don't you complain, my lady. Leto has got your heart."

Serena grinned in response. "You cannot be more right, Luna."

She returned to the bedroom a few minutes later to inform her husband that supper was served. He was just coming out of the bathroom, vigorously rubbing his wet, unruly hair with a towel and pulling on his breeches. Her mouth dried.

After three years of marriage, he still took her breath away. Endymion looked up and smiled at his wife standing by the door. Her eyes were smoldering and he felt his body respond. One look was all it took.

"Dinner is served," Serena said softly, watching as he neared her and reached behind her to close the heavy oaken door. Her husband kissed her again and she leaned into him.

_Welcome home, my Love._

* * *

"How's my Leto?" Endymion asked later that evening, after they'd piled the dishes in the sink.

"Find out for yourself," Serena replied with a smile. "I'll help Luna clean the dishes. Go see Leto. And don't wake him up," she warned sternly, though a smile tugged on her face.

"Cross my heart," Endymion joked, and all but flew up the stairs, impatient to see his son. His son Leto, named after his father Leo, who, along with his mother, died when he was all but a child. His son Leto, who went through death—literally. (AN: I will make some allusions to the story "To Serena, With My Love." If you don't understand the allusions, feel free to read "To Serena, With My Love.")

The two women shared an amused glance.

A while later, when Serena entered their bedroom again, she sighed as she closed the door behind her. It'd been a long week since Endy had gone…a long, taxing week.

A hand slipped across her waist while another lifted her hair. "How was your week?" he murmured, brushing his lips across her nape, delighted when he felt her shiver.

"Fine," she tried not to moan, tipping her head one way and giving him access to her neck and shoulder.

"Liar," he accused softly, toying with the seams of her gown. He swept her off her feet and laid her on the bed, smiling as she reached for him.

Serena tugged his head down and kissed him deeply. Oh, how she'd missed him…missed his embrace, his kiss, the touch of his skin against hers. She laughed, realizing that he had yet again managed to undress her without her knowledge.

Growling softly, Endymion looked at the armful of Serena he had, watching the play of emotions across her face, that seductive posture she permanently held whenever they were alone. "How was yours?" she asked breathlessly, as his lips traveled down.

"I missed you," he replied, and kissed her lips again. "I missed this. Did you?"

"Yes," she sighed, surrendering to his love.

"And this?" he murmured, cupping a perfect breast in his hand, rubbing his thumb across the taut peak.

"Yes," she gasped, reaching for him desperately, wanting to give him the same pleasure he was giving her. Endymion, however, had other plans, and eluded her touch, holding her hands captive above her head, pinned against the headboard.

"And this?" he suckled the taut peak, drawing a moan from her lips. He smiled as she arched against him. "Patience, my dear," he murmured, enjoying his banquet.

"Endy," she tried again to move her arms, but he wouldn't have any of it. Instead, he quickened his pace, reached down, and pressed his hand against her mound.

Her moan turned into a shriek of pleasure as the waves hit her. He swallowed her scream and released her hands, allowing her to do what she would to him. He smiled at that thought. Every time he had relinquished control to her in the three years they'd been married, the longest he lasted had been five minutes. The last time he had given her control, he lost his mind within a minute.

As these thoughts ran through his mind, he watched as she climbed atop him, a mischievous smile on her face. He felt an answering grin on his face.

"Do your worst," he snarled, trying to contain himself, trying to rein in his passion.

"I will," she promised, and leaned down to kiss him.

Time became eternal then, as the lovers took turns leading the other to Heaven. And for a few hours, Serena forgot the imminent danger looming on the horizon.

* * *

_I hope I appeased your appetite._

Endymion smiled and kissed her brow. _Not really._

Serena looked up with a scolding look. _You are insatiable!_

_So I am._ He kissed her brow again and wrapped her tighter into the comfort of his arms. _Sweetheart, why was the bolt in place when I came home?_

Immediately Serena stiffened. _The bolt?_ She asked cautiously, measuring how much she could lie again without upsetting him.

_I'm not letting it go this time,_ he captured her hand and kissed her fingertips, one by one. _It's been a month now. Tell me. And don't you lie. I can feel it when you lie to me._

Instead of relaxing, as Endymion had half expected her to do, she stiffened even more and sat up, reaching for a dressing robe. He followed suit, worried beyond words when she turned away from him.

_Buns._ He took her into his arms and kissed her face softly. _What's wrong?_

She looked at him, fear more than apparent on her face. _You'll say I'm silly._

_All right, you're silly. Now tell me._

She sighed and fell into his embrace. _Endy, lately I haven't been feeling well._ His silence urged her on. _I…well, I really don't know how to say this, but…I think something's coming._

_You know._

The realization hit him hard. Desperately, he tipped her chin up and looked deep into her eyes. _You know?_

_What do you mean I know?_ She blinked at him, confused when he drew her tighter into his arms. _Endy, what is it? This doesn't concern that trip you took, does it? Oh, Endy, what have you hidden from me? Did you go see Andrew and Robert and Henry instead?_

"Sweetheart, we have to go back. We have to start packing."

Incredulous, Serena watched as her husband let her go and began to dress. "Now?"

_Now._

The dead seriousness in his eyes convinced her. Without questioning him, she went to the vanity and began to braid her hair.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me you went to the Palace instead?" Serena asked, just hours later, inside a warm and comfortable carriage.

"I couldn't. I didn't think you knew." Endymion searched through his saddlebag and found his insignia. This would have to do for now.

"What are you doing?" Serena asked as he pinned the insignia to her gown.

"Protection. For now my blood and life will protect you against it, but it's too weak. We'd have to find something more powerful. Queen Serenity will provide you with all the knowledge you need, I'm sure."

_Endy! Tell me what's going on!_

His eyes found hers again. _You already know._

She stopped breathing. _It can't be…_

_It's already begun, Love._

"So what I felt was true? There is an evil gathering somewhere?" Her fingers tightened around his, and in her eyes he could see the old, reawakened fear.

"You have the Blood. Of course you would know." He touched her cheek and kissed her. _Sweetheart, I shall protect you with my life._

_No. Not with your life. Just love me, like you promised._

_I do._

* * *

Author's Note:

Here's the first chapter of the sequel of "To Serena, With My Love." I'll try to write and post the chapters quickly, but this will (probably) be a ten-chapter work (if not longer), so please be patient.

As you have noticed, this story is rated R for sexual content. As for language and action/violence, it'll mostly be PG-13.

Please leave a comment and thank you!

Crystal Selena


	2. The Preparation

Summary:  
A sequel to "To Serena, With My Love": A nameless fear sweeps across the Universe of a growing evil, and it has focused its eyes on the Moon. Serenity, possessing the most powerful Craft known, will risk everything to save those she loves. However, her marriage to Endymion starts to fall apart; trust is broken, doubt ensues. Yet she denies it, holds on to him, willing to forfeit millions of people—including herself—to save the soul of the man she cannot forsake.

Disclaimer:  
All standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Love bears all things, believes all things,  
Hopes all things, endures all things.  
~The Bible: 1 Corinthians

* * *

"We are here."

The words sounded strangely ominous. Serena looked at her husband and then the baby sleeping in her arms, and hesitated for a moment, frightened by the implications of her dreams.

"Sweetheart," Endymion called softly, his hand still outstretched.

Serena took his hand and allowed him to help her down the carriage. To her surprise, he didn't let go when he should have—instead he drew her into his arms, baby and all, and held her for a long moment, frozen in time.

"I love you," he murmured to her, lifting her chin and looking into her eyes.

"And I love you," she replied with a smile that softened the edges of worry on her face.

"Oh, Serena!"

She turned around and saw Mina hurrying down the broad corridors into the stables. Her friend's face was radiating with joy.

"Oh, Serena, how I missed you!" she embraced her friend, baby and all, and laughed when young Leto let out a squeak of discomfort.

"Endymion," Mina turned her attention to him while Serena tried to calm down Leto. "I trust you are taking good care of her?"

Endymion grinned and slipped a protective arm around his wife. "Mina, are you questioning my loyalty and honor?"

Mina raised her eyebrow and examined him from head to toe. "My, my, Endymion, you look like a peasant!"

The laughter was startled out of Serena, though her husband looked anything but amused. "A handsome one, at that," she added to Mina with a broad smile. "He's only darker now, since he's been in the sun for so long everyday."

"Really?" a new voice echoed down the corridors, and all three looked up to see Andrew approaching them.

Ever since his father's death a few months ago, Andrew had taken over the lordly duties of his father and had been quite an adviser to Robert. Though he was a modest man, he'd always walked with that quiet air of confidence, unlike Endymion, whose steps echoed the proud and arrogant man inside.

Serena felt a sudden wave of bittersweet memories. How long ago it seemed, when the four of them had laughed together. How long ago! Taking a deep breath she forced the memories back, unwilling to indulge in luxury when an imminent danger awaited her.

"Come, old friends," Andrew stepped aside and offered precedence to Endymion and Serena, falling into the old habits. "Come, a long journey lies ahead of us."

* * *

Their return to the palace was somewhat secret, for they were not ready yet to announce to the entire Universe that an evil was rising. For now, they lived in the royal quarters where they used to, for Robert and Andrew had both refused the honor of moving in.

"Queen Serenity will arrive in a few days. And so will Sam and Irene and Ken," Endymion called out as he weighed a sword in his hands.

Serena stood at the door of their bedroom, watching as he practiced his swordplay, fascinated with his strength and the way his muscles rippled as he moved across the room. He was sweating already. After all he hadn't touched a sword in months and the sword he held now, the family heirloom, was probably as heavy as a full-grown tree.

Something flashed and she blinked at his form, so fast she could only see blurs of him. Ah, the legendary Endymion. His speed was unrivaled, his skill unmatched. A golden shield hid and protected his body. Not even many gods or goddesses could advance to the level of shields, and Endymion was a mortal.

Fear seized her. He was her husband, her heart and soul, her _all_. She couldn't lose him. To lose him was like losing herself. If he died, he'd have to bring her with him. She couldn't… The thoughts turned in her mind and she tried to throw it away, throw it out of her system. But, alas, she had the Blood, and she could see and fear things in the future that no other could.

She would protect him. She had the Blood, and she knew how powerful that was. She had the Blood. She would use her Blood to protect him.

"Bunny?"

Serena looked at him and saw that he'd deactivated his shield. The sword was balanced perfectly in his hand, and staring at him made her mouth dry again. One look was all it took…but they hadn't the time. And they would likely not have any time in the future...for time was all they had to their advantage.

"Bunny, I would protect you with my life," he said with a kiss.

"No," she refused him and rubbed her lips across his. "No. I will protect you with my Blood. No one can harm you that way."

"You better save it," he replied, drawing her closer, reaching up and angling her head so he could gain better access. "You'll need it some day."

"I won't need it anymore if you left me," she said, not knowing what she was saying. She felt him stiffen and leaned back, looking curiously at his suddenly dark face.

"Sweetheart," he began in a low voice, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm not afraid of death like I used to be. To be the commander of an entire army requires immense strength and courage. And you gave me that courage."

She sighed, sinking into the comfort of his arms. "Whatever you say, Endy. I won't let you leave me."

* * *

"Be patient."

Serena took a deep breath and calmed herself. Seeing his legendary speed and skill, she'd asked him to teach her, for she knew her mother Serenity would need her help in defeating the enemy, and of course she would need training in the handling of everything from swords to bows and everything in between.

_I can only teach you the physical part. Your mother will teach you the other part._

She cringed. The Moon Kingdom was renown in the Universe for its "other part." All men spoke of it with awe. This other part was known to be the most powerful Craft, and this sacred and precious knowledge was passed from the Queens to their daughters through generations. She had received no training whatsoever, and she wondered if she could ever catch up. She was too old now…Moon Princesses always began at the age of two.

She would have a late start on the trainings…but she would have to catch up. There was no way she could abandon everything to her mother.

_Buns, you're wandering again._

_Sorry._She tried to concentrate and sink into meditation, but couldn't.

Endymion touched her forehead and sighed. "Sweetheart, today isn't a good day. Go take a rest. You must be very tired."

Serena scrambled to her feet unceremoniously, following his quicker steps to the door. "Endy," she called. "Endy."

He turned around and waited for her, admiring her figure with a smile. "What is it?"

She kissed him and smiled shyly. "When shall I see you next?"

He laughed and gathered her into his arms. "In a few hours, my sweet love. When you wake up, I shall be by your side."

Her smile was a beacon of light in the darkness. Endymion felt the weight on his shoulders lessen and changed his mind. He swept her into his arms, smiling at her curious face, and carried her up the stairs into their bedroom.

They had so little time. Even at the beginning, they knew it.

* * *

Serena struggled to fight her way through the last cobwebs of her dream. Already, she could feel his arms around her, his breath in her hair. Fear seized her again. What would it come to?

"Honey sweetheart," she heard his voice and clasped her arms tightly around him. "Sweetheart?"

"Nothing," she replied, holding him closer. "Just…just a dream."

His fingers tipped her chin up and she found herself staring into the depths of his soul. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked in a murmur, unconsciously caressing her face.

"No, no." She shook her head. "Must be the nervousness." She took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes. "Endy, promise me you'll never leave me."

He raised an eyebrow and suddenly her mouth was dry again. One look. Perhaps it took less than that. "You shouldn't have to question that, my love," he murmured, though there was no reproach in his voice.

"Oh, I know," she assured him. "But…there are times when you cannot help it…when you…"

"Well, if I cannot help it, then how can I promise you such a thing?"

"I don't know!" she cried, frustrated, and tried to curb her temper. Just the thought of the evil was a strain.

"Sweetheart," he reached for her again and she didn't resist as he drew her into the curve of his body. "Sweetheart, everything will be all right again. I promise."

Her shoulders sagged and Serena closed her eyes. "Thank you, love."

"Anytime," he brushed his lips across her forehead. He promised. And he would keep his word.

* * *

_"Endy!"_

She ran down the dark alley, trying not to trip over the length of her gown. "Endy!" she called again, splashing water on her gown as she ran past. "Endy! Where are you?"

No answer awaited her.

Panicked, she turned left and tried to discern the eerie shapes in the darkness.

"Endy!"

No response. She tried not to crumble.

Her Endy had disappeared.

* * *

"Serena!"

She gasped and tried to push the person away. Tears streamed down her face. Her Endy…gone. She didn't think she could suffer through such a loss. Even now, without him by her side, she was lonely, weak.

"Serenity."

She looked up and saw her mother sitting across the table from her. Wiping the tears away with a cool cloth, her mother gently touched her forehead. "Serenity, this is what you must see. This is how deep you must look inside yourself to find the future."

"Mother," she swallowed and attempted to clear her mind. "Mother, did you see…?"

"I did, Child. I was with you."

"Will it…come true?"

Queen Serenity sat back and studied her daughter. In her face, that same fear, that same curiosity, that same determination…

"Mother?" her fearful whisper rang in the older woman's ears.

Years ago she had asked the same question. She found assurance from her mother, the love of a mother…but she let down her guard and he had been taken from her…ripped from her arms. And years later, she still cursed her blind spots, her weaknesses.

And in her daughter, the Blood carried the same weaknesses.

So she must tell the truth and hope that her daughter wouldn't break.

"Serena," she whispered, touched her daughter's forehead again. "It's true. It will happen. In one way or another."

"No," Serena said on a breath. "No! Mother, change this! He can't… Mother!"

"Child, I wish there was something I could do…"

* * *

"Sweetheart?"

Startled, Serena jumped, her hand flying to her throat, as she tried unsuccessfully to hide the evidence of her ministrations.

"Sweetheart?" Brows furrowed, Endymion quietly closed the door behind him and sauntered toward his wife.

She turned back and dabbed at her hand to no avail. Oh, she knew he would notice. Tonight, when he would kiss her fingers and hold her in his embrace, he would notice. But she wanted to delay the inevitable. Certainly, he was much too busy to see her in the late afternoon. He was supposed to be in the conference room, discussing some such military details with his counselors.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing?" Alarmed, Endymion dashed to his wife's side and snatched the bloodied piece of cloth away.

"Nothing," Serena replied quickly, trying to sound light, and tugged her hand away. "Really, Endy, it's nothing."

"No."

Her heart squeezed. How could she live without him, without his voice, without his breath in her hair?

His voice had dropped dangerously low and his fingers danced across her waist and belly as he pulled her into his arms. "Sweetheart," he murmured, lifting her hand to examine the skin. His other arm tightened around her and he looked at her questioningly, almost with rebuke.

Serena turned her face away, swallowing hard. He didn't need to know. He must not know. "I just wanted to protect you," she said, as though that explained all.

Endymion blinked and looked at her blood in the chalice. And then he knew.

"Serena!" he shouted at her, pushing her away. She was drawing her own blood! She wanted to protect him with her own Blood!

Frightened, she stared at him, not sure what she should do, for she'd never been in this position. He had never called her Serena in private, not since the day of their wedding ceremony.

"Buns," he lowered his voice and sighed, pulling her into his arms again. "Buns, I don't want your Blood. If you gave me your Blood you would have to share the protection it provides with me…and you would be vastly weakened. I am but a thorn in your side, and I would not want to trouble you further."

The formality with which he spoke chilled her heart. Even though his breath was warm in her hair, she feared anew. "But, Endy, please, do me this favor. It would please me very much," she added, desperately.

"No, I can't. I can't put you in danger in my selfish desire to survive. Bunny, you should know that already."

"Yes, but…" she trailed off, watching as he lifted her hand and kissed her self-inflicted cut. It had already coagulated. "Endy, you must understand…" again, her sentence trailed off as he distracted her with his gentle kisses, as though he could simply heal the cut with them.

Serena saw a smile before his distraction raised to the level of torment. Catching her breath, she watched, entranced, as he kissed her wrist, her arm, and suddenly she felt little frames erupting, low in her belly.

"Bunny."

And then she was lost.

* * *

Looking out over the perfectly groomed gardens, Serena felt a wave of bittersweet memories. When Mina had been a friend, when they'd both been servants to the Crown, they teased each other, about Endymion, about Andrew, about her valiant efforts at trying to look pretty for Endy or about the way Mina's eyes lit up at the sight of food.

Those days were now long gone. A war was imminent now, and the responsibilities weighed heavily on her shoulders. Just a few hours ago, Mina had transformed from the wife of Andrew into the Princess of Venus.

Just a few hours ago, Mina had revealed her true identity at a Counsel Meeting, after Serena had finally met her personal guards—the Princesses of Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter. At first she thought she'd heard wrong, but she didn't. Nothing was what it looked like, certainly not the people she loved and trusted.

_Sweetheart._

Like always, his fingers danced across her stomach and she found herself in his embrace. _Sweetheart, I love you._He kissed her temple and pressed her closer, his breath in her hair.

Serena leaned back into her husband's arms and let him see the tears and fears in her eyes. _What am I going to do, Endy? I can't even trust Mina. The links to my past are breaking._

I'll try to help you, Buns.

No. Just love me, like you promised.

I do.

* * *

Please review

Crystal Selena


	3. The Fear

Disclaimer:  
All standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.  
– Maureen Duffy –

* * *

She sipped at the cup of warm tea and waited for it to warm her. When it didn't, she sighed and shook her head slightly. She should've known better than that. When she was nervous, nothing could help. Not even her mother Serenity's wisdom.

"Good morning, Sweetheart," a familiar voice said.

She turned and smiled, closing her eyes as he kissed her, softly, gently, a whisper of the night before. "Good morning, Love," she returned, touching his face. "How do you fare?"

"Poorly," he jested, taking her into his arms. "I labored long and diligently last night."

She scowled as twin spots of color warmed her cheeks. "I do believe we are in a public place," she said, shaking her finger at him.

"Let them stare, then," he took that offending finger and kissed the fingertip, enjoying her fluster even more. "Let them see how happy we are together."

That returned the smile to her face and she leaned into his embrace, solid and comforting. Breathing in the distinctly male scent of him, she reminded him of the time, and reluctantly, he let her go and sat down beside her, breaking his fast with a sigh.

An hour later, she stood in the middle of the empty room, sunlight streaming through the open windows. Her husband had caught her hands in his as he adjusted her stance, teaching her the finer details of swordsplay.

Though her father and now Sam were both knights and she had learned much from watching them engaged—and occasionally, participating, in the privacy of their home—in swordsplay, she did not learn the way of the knight as men did. Instead, she learned to do embroidery, to read and write, to manage a household…to nurture the men she loved.

And now, she must take up a sword. Her husband's touch was gentle yet firm as he guided her in the intricate footwork, helping her hone the skills she didn't know she possessed. Within the week that she'd arrived at the palace, she had become a fine swordswoman, drawing upon her Blood and the ancient legacy she carried in her veins.

"…like this…" he guided her hands away from her body.

Energy erupted at her fingertips as she struggled to keep her equilibrium. She hadn't yet mastered this skill, but she would have to; otherwise, she could kill herself—and others—with her powers.

"Sorry," she gasped as a stream of energy escaped her control.

"Don't worry."

His voice, low and soft beside her ears, soothed her nerves. She felt his fingers against her face, and it was a moment before his lips covered hers. It was a soft kiss, full of love and all things that came with it.

"Sweetheart," he murmured, framing her face with his large hands and gazing tenderly into her dazed eyes.

She smiled at him and held him close to her, letting his scent, his comfort, his kiss, wash over her. _I love you,_ she whispered, not in the least alarmed when he didn't respond in kind. In fact, it had become almost a routine of late. He rarely said his love anymore…it was in his simplest gestures that she found the utmost pleasure.

She sighed, looking up into his eyes. "I think Mother will be here soon…"

Endymion nodded. Gods, how he hated Fate. He knew their time was coming to an end. Their time came to an end as soon as her birthright was revealed to him.

"How long will you be with her?" he asked.

"Late," she replied. "I don't know exactly. And you? Are you going to be with your Counselors all day?"

"No." He briefly caressed her hair. "I'll be with them for the latest updates on the Kingdom. They're competent old men when it comes to administration, but where war is concerned…"

"Your generals." She smiled up at him. "I still can't get their names right. I know Andrew. Is Ken the really tall one? And Greg, the serious one who, according to just about everyone, has never laughed or smiled? And Chad, who's the complete opposite of Greg?"

"Right on all accounts." He kissed her again. "I must be going now. Artemis should be back very soon."

"Did you send Artemis on another scouting trip?"

"Yes."

Serena clicked her tongue. "Endy, you shouldn't be so hard on him. Next time, either send him out with Luna or don't send him out at all."

Endymion laughed and kissed his wife again. "They're just like us. Inseparable."

She smiled…this man in front of her now was more like the Endy she knew. Leaving a last kiss on his lips, she moved toward the door. _I love you,_ she sent the thought toward him and felt the ghost arms around her.

_I'll drop by Leto's room._

* * *

_Good morning, my child._

Startled, Serena stopped at the door.

"Come in," her mother appeared by the windows.

Serena closed and locked the door behind her and approached the cushions. "How did you do that?"

Her mother waited patiently for her to find a comfortable spot in the cushions and replied, "Mind-speaking abilities. This is what I will teach you today. Tomorrow, I'll teach you more about mind shields and how to override them. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Mother." Serena took a deep breath and quickly sank into a trance. For a moment, she thought of nothing and did nothing, feeling languid. Slowly, she became aware of her mother's presence within her.

_Relax, my Child. Let me show you how far your mind can go._

* * *

"What do you think?"

Luna hesitated, looking at the table in front of her.

"What do you think?" Artemis asked again, covering her hand with his.

"The future does not bode well," she answered finally. "I do not know if they can pull through this one."

"What do you mean?" he asked incredulously. "Surely a love as strong as theirs…"

Luna shook her head sharply, cutting him off. "There are other forces at work."

"Stronger even than love?"

When she hesitated, Artemis began to feel the fear. "No, not stronger than their love," she said finally, and the eyes that met his were worried. "Certainly not stronger than their love. You know as well as I that nothing can separate them, except…"

"Except?"

Luna hesitated again. "I cannot say. I do not know why he will do what he will do, or how he will do it. He…"

"Luna…" Artemis took her hand in his. "Luna, tell me."

She looked at him again and he felt his blood run cold.

"Only one of them will survive this war."

* * *

"Gods above, how far has the enemy advanced?" Andrew was demanding of Artemis.

"Andromeda has been taken," Artemis replied, his voice conveying the urgent need for them to act. "We are the next target. It has waited for this moment, planned for it. We must make our stand…if we fail, everything will be lost. Forever."

Ken leaned forward in his chair toward the table, his brows furrowed. "You said that it's planned for this moment. Why? How?"

"Queen Serenity possesses the Silver Crystal," Artemis responded and glanced at Endymion, who sat at the head of the table with a thoughtful frown. "And the Crystal purportedly has an immense power that can bring life and death. However, the peace of the long millennium past has not seen the Crystal at work, and the legend has become myth…but it has not been lost, and our enemy knows and fears the Crystal. Therefore, it has been gathering its power, preparing for the final step."

"You mean to say that Queen Serenity has the Crystal?" Greg asked, his face worried.

"Yes." Artemis hesitated for a moment here, unsure of how to proceed. "That is the very reason for which Queen Serenity has been teaching Serena."

"To teach her how to wield the powers of the Crystal," Greg finished softly, nodding. "Of course. It's only logical…"

Artemis did not mention Luna's vision…the other reason why Queen Serenity had to transmit all her knowledge to Serena so urgently. The future cannot be told…and Endymion, he knew, would never allow any threat to come to his wife. Artemis glanced at his master again and looked around the table at the bleak faces in front of him.

_Did it have to come down to it? Would everything come to depend on their love?_

Artemis prayed that it would not.

After all, only one of them would live to tell the story.

And that one would only be a living shell.

* * *

There was a moment of silence in the room, and then Greg voiced the thought of the entire group: "And if anything should happen to Queen Serenity…"

"The weight of the universe falls on Serena's shoulders," Andrew finished as the implications hung heavily in the air.

The group turned as one to the dark man at the head of the table. His face was a blank mask and his eyes told nothing.

"What will you do?" Chad asked.

"Nothing." Endymion pushed himself away from the table. "I cannot prevent what is to come." He swiftly made toward the door, his boots clicking against the marble floor. "But I will not tolerate any threat to my wife."

As the door closed behind him, the entire chamber of generals looked at each other.

Artemis prayed fervently that it would not have to come down to their love.

* * *

_Mother?_

Yes, my Child?

Mother, will I learn how to see the future?

Serenity turned to look at her daughter in the moonlight. Such a sweet face…such a sweet and sad face. Oh, why did it have to be her sweet daughter? Why couldn't it have been her?

_The future?_

Yes, Mother. Will I learn how to see it, just like you do?

Serenity smiled slightly. _I do not see the future, my Child. I only see what is revealed to me. And you, Child, you cannot learn to see the future. You can only learn to perceive it. That is not the same thing._

But is it possible that I have dreams…premonitions…of things to come? Serena looked earnestly at her mother now, afraid of the answer, knowing that it was inevitable.

_Yes, Child._ Serenity turned to look at the moon, the moon that was her home. _It is possible._

And the things that I dream of…will I find out more?

You mean Endymion's fate. 

Serena blinked in surprise, and then blushed and looked away. _I cannot help it, Mother. He is my life. I want to prevent any harm that will come to him._

Child, you cannot prevent the future.

Serena frowned. _Yes, I know that. But I shall not allow any harm to come to him._

Serenity looked at her daughter and felt the warning. Her daughter had inherited her father's stubbornness…and anything she made up her mind to do, she will. She would protect him, even if it meant her life and the entire universe.

* * *

Endymion paced the length of their bedroom, impatient and edgy. He did not know what he could do to protect her…she had such a great task in front of her. He could not be selfish…the entire universe and everything that they knew were at stake. If he took her away, if he hid her, then darkness would pass over them and everything would forever be lost.

No. He could not hide her.

Turning sharply around as he neared the wall, Endymion searched madly for a solution.

If he could not hide her…there was nothing more he could do, other than to pray for her safety.

And he did not trust his fortunes. The Gods had turned a blind eye to him when his parents died. They had ignored his sufferings in the years since his parents' death…ignored his pleas when his aunt and uncle died. And they gave him the sweetest gift of all…only to take her away, with the child Leto inside of her.

_Leto!_

Endymion reached for his son and took the sleeping child into his arms. The child, woken by the sudden movement, began to cry.

"Shh," Endymion whispered softly. "It's okay, sweetie. Everything will be fine."

It had been a miracle when Queen Serenity resurrected her. She had heard his pleas and came back to him…given him Leto, given him everything he could dream of. And now, the miracle was fading fast…and he realized that Queen Serenity had brought her back for a purpose. He could not blame the Queen…the universe was at stake, and only she, with her daughter, could save it.

But this time, he would not let Death separate them.

"Papa will protect Mama," he whispered to Leto. "And Mama…she will not be harmed."

* * *

Serenity found her husband rocking their child, the embers low in the hearth, casting a soft light on them both.

He turned at the sound of her entrance and smiled wearily. "Good evening," he said, putting Leto down in the crib, closing the door that led him to the child's room.

She watched as he approached her and took her in his arms. His kiss was gentle, loving, the kind of touch she craved for at this moment.

"Endy," she sighed as his hands expertly worked out the knots from her shoulders and back. "How was your day?"

"Andromeda has been taken," he said softly, easing her muscles.

"I heard about that from Mother." She nestled closer to him. "What will you do?"

"I don't know yet…but Andrew is cracking his head over this. I spoke to him briefly after supper. He fears for Mina's life."

"I do, too," she said softly. "And for the lives of the others, as well. For all of you."

"It's not fair."

"What's not fair?"

He looked into her eyes. "You should not bear the weight of the universe alone."

She smiled wearily and drew his head down for a lingering kiss. "I'm not alone, Sweetheart. I have you."

His heart warmed and he kissed her again. As he carried her to their bed, as he skillfully loosened the intricate buttons and laces of her gown, as she raised her arms to him in welcome, he vowed to her that he would always be with her, that he would protect her with his life.

_No, Sweetheart._ She caressed his bare skin, traced the muscles she knew by heart. _Just love me, like you promised._

I do.

* * *

As you all have probably guessed, i am very bored at school right now and have nothing better to do because i finished all of my work early... the life of a med student. lol Please review and i hoped that you all enjoyed

BTW the story is complete, I'm just taking my sweet old time posting it to torture all of you wonderful readers and reviewers ^_^

Crystal Selena


	4. The Bond

Disclaimer:  
All standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for their religion—  
I have shudder'd at it.  
I shudder no more.  
I could be martyr'd for my religion  
Love is my religion  
And I could die for that.  
I could die for you.  
– John Keats –

* * *

"I have to go," Serena said regretfully as she brushed back a strand of hair from his face. "I will see you at supper tonight, however."

"Looking forward to it," he mumbled, watching her as she slipped into her gown and tied back her wealthy tresses. His fingers ached to slide through that wealth again, like they had so many times during the long hours of the night, but he held himself back. His wife had other things to worry about…

"Sweetheart?" she questioned softly, noting his uncharacteristic silence and the gloomy expression on his face. "Is anything wrong?"

He smiled faintly at her and sat up, offering her his arms. "I'll miss you, Love."

She sank into his embrace and rubbed her cheek against his bare chest. _I'll miss you too._

There was a long moment of silence as they simply held each other. Then he drew away and smiled at her again, trying to cheer her up. _See you at supper, my Love._

She looked at the strong line of his nose and his dark-blue eyes and felt her heart melt. _See you soon, Sweetheart._ She pressed a last kiss to him and turned to leave the room.

* * *

"And Serena? What about her?"

"She's breaking her fast at the moment and will be with the Queen until supper," Endymion said softly.

Sam looked agitated. "I'm worried about her… Never did I imagine that she would have to shoulder the weight of the universe…"

"I had hoped that she wouldn't have to," Endymion shook his head. "She's meant for great things, Sam. Things not even she herself can imagine…but the price is too costly. I knew that the moment I saw her. It was in the way she carries herself…the way she understands nature and its power."

"What will you do?" Irene questioned, as the rain fell gently outside.

"Make a stand and hope for the best." His smile was tired. "The enemy is very strong, and we don't have enough information yet. Right now, all we can do is hope."

They took this in silence as they all shared in the thought of what was to come. Then, Ken Roberts took his son-in-law's hand and squeezed it with a sad, old man's smile. "Be careful, my son. Take care. If anything should happen to you, she won't hesitate to drop everything she's doing to heal you."

Endymion smiled wearily. "I know. And that's what I'm afraid of."

* * *

"Advances?"

"Already invaded Milky Way," Artemis was saying. He pressed a worried glance toward the dark man at the head of the table again. Endymion was not saying much, and he knew that his master was carefully calculating his moves, making sure that his wife would not cross paths with harm.

"Our armies are ready for battle. The other kingdoms have united under our flag," Chad reported, hoping that at least the forces of an entire planet would somehow ward off the oncoming evil, yet knowing that that hope was nothing but hope. "Falcon of Norn has sent troops out to test the strength of our enemy and his messengers are on their way here as we speak. In fact, he himself shall arrive in two days, if not less."

Endymion tapped the table, as he always did when he was thinking. His campaign must not fail…because if it did, his wife would have to…

_No._

He directed himself away from that thought and explored other possibilities. He did have the power…but he had never really practiced it, never honed it…and above all, he did not have his father here to teach him what Queen Serenity was doing at this very moment with his wife.

This meant that he must practice on his own. He must find his father's belongings, hope that his father had left something—_anything_—that would help him in any way, shape, or form. His wife's life was at stake, Gods above! His father must have left him _something_…perhaps it was in the sword, perhaps the sword held the key to unlocking that power within himself.

_But there is no way of knowing… If Father had left anything, it would be so secretive that no one would ever suspect. That is the extent of that power… No, Father would not have left me nothing. It must be somewhere in this palace…_

"We cannot attack outright," Ken said quickly. "Speaking in terms of numbers, our failure is guaranteed if we are to attack directly. We must do something else…create a diversion, create a false impression of when and where we are to attack…"

"Prepare the ships."

The men looked at Endymion in surprise.

"The ships, my lord?" Artemis questioned.

"Yes, the ships. I want them ready in three days." He pushed himself away from the table and went to the wide windows, looking out over the land he'd known and loved his entire life. He couldn't imagine such beautiful land and people gone in the blink of an eye…

"Why the ships, Endymion?" Ken's voice drifted to him.

"I want Queen Serenity and Serena out of here as soon as possible. Call Serenity's guards. I need them to understand."

The men in the room exchanged a confused glance. Since they themselves did not understand Endymion's thinking, they doubted that the Sailor Scouts would have any better luck. However, they hesitated to question Endymion further…they have all sensed the changes in him during the years he'd been gone from the palace.

He turned back to his generals and saw their confusion. Calling up a map, he marked Andromeda and the Milky Way, specifically the Solar System.

"Here we are. And here's the enemy."

The bright circles served as a rude awakening. Although Andromeda was the nearest galactic neighbor, it had seemed far away…but now, on the map of the universe, Andromeda was practically on top of the Milky Way…

"The enemy will take the other planets first," Endymion continued. "And then it'll be us. The enemy will be looking for Serena, because they know she's here…unless we send her, along with the Queen, back to the Moon. Saving the best for the last, the enemy will strike us first, and we'll stall and give the Queen and Serena the time they desperately need."

The men shared a glance again as Endymion turned back to his musings. The king's plan was logical, precise, designed to defeat the enemy.

There was just one problem.

They won't stand a chance against the enemy.

* * *

"Endymion…"

"We'll stall for time," he repeated. "We'll take the risk and slow down the enemy." Turning back to the table, he looked at them with a deadly seriousness that his men knew better than to question. "We have to."

"We have to," Andrew echoed and thought of Mina. "We have to," his voice gained strength. "If we outmaneuver the enemy, we'll have a chance." Calling up another map, he outlined a battle plan but quickly rejected it when he realized that it required speed faster than that of the enemy's…and that was impossible. The reason that the enemy could take so many galaxies in such a short amount of time is that it was lightning-fast and attacked in unexpected places.

"I'll request the Sailor Scouts," Ken stood up from his chair. "They've studied the battle plans and formations of countless wars in the galaxy…two heads are better than one." With that, he turned toward the door.

Endymion nodded. "Artemis, go to Andromeda and see what you can find out about the enemy. Take Luna with you."

"My lord?"

He smiled, regarding his friend with a glint in his eyes. "Take Luna."

Joy flooded Artemis's eyes and he jumped to his feet. "Of course, Sire."

Artemis was about to ask his master the time restraint on this scouting trip, but he was cut off when Endymion screamed and fell to the floor.

* * *

_Good morning, Mother._

The Queen turned to look at her smiling daughter, but this time, she did not feel the answering smile on her own face. Turning away, she led her silently down the corridors, toward a wing of the palace that she knew her daughter had never chanced upon.

_Mother?_

Yes?

Where are we going? Serena asked, growing more anxious by the second. _I have never been here before._

I know.

Startled, Serena stopped momentarily as she stared at her mother's retreating back. The Queen was not happy…and she knew it had something to do with her. Swallowing hard, she hurried to catch up with the Queen, trying to calm herself, reminding herself that her mother would never hurt her.

The Queen stopped in front of a door made of iron and waved her hand. The door opened, squeaking, and Serena was tempted to cover her ears…but she knew better than to anger her mother more. So, she obediently followed her mother inside to an obviously unkempt practice hall. As she had never been in a practice hall alone without the company of her husband, Endymion's face suddenly rushed to the forefront of her attention. Her premonition and the warning it carried jabbed at her heart, and she felt the all-too-familiar dread and panic for what was to come.

All of a sudden, the ground beneath her feet disappeared. She gasped and fell, struggling to catch her breath. Her mother was looking at her coldly, and she could feel bile at the back of her throat. Swallowing hard, she pushed herself up to her knees and tried to stand, only to find that the ground had disappeared again.

Choking, Serena pushed herself up. She was uncertain of the game her mother was playing…but she had to play along. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire. Though her mother had always been gentle and patient (until now, at least), Serena had always known the extent of her power, had always feared that one day, they may come into conflict. It seemed that the day she feared had already come.

_Stand up!_

The command had been so loud that she felt the precariously balanced scale in her mind tip perilously toward one end. Choking to breathe again, she tried to push herself up, but her muscles failed her, and she ended up in a heap at her mother's feet.

An odd image passed over her eyes, and, having caught the agony in his eyes in that image, she chased it, knowing that it would bring her more pain, more dread…but she had to know…she had to know so she could protect him.

The full image returned to her, and her heart stopped beating.

_No. No! It's not possible… Mother!_ She reached for the Queen, but her mother did not comfort her. _No! It can't be! It can't be… No…_

_Sweetheart?_ Came the softly questioning word from her husband.

_Endy!_ She grasped him tightly. _Endy, don't leave me. Don't ever leave me._

_Sweetheart, you know I would never._ She felt his arms around her and the ghost kiss on her lips. _What's wrong? Did you see another of those premonitions?_

_Yes. Yes!_ She sobbed and hugged him tighter to her. _And I know they're true. I know it's the future. Sweetheart…please don't leave me. I love you. I love you!_

She felt his lips on hers again and the steady flow of comfort from him. Shuddering, she forced herself to calm down. There was no use to worry him, as there was no use to shed tears over what was already written… She must find a way to protect him, must find the future within herself—to prevent the future, to protect—

And screamed.

* * *

"Endymion? Endymion?"

He opened his eyes and groaned at the pain that came. He tried to lift his hands and rub his eyes into focus, but found that he could not feel his muscles.

"My lord?"

Groaning again at the pain, his eyes eventually focused. His generals and Artemis were kneeling around him with concern in their eyes…and was that fear? Groaning again, because he could not think without causing himself more pain, Endymion realized that he was lying on the marble floor.

"Endymion, don't move," Greg was saying. "Just don't move. I'll go get Amy." Before Endymion could say anything else, the man had rushed off in search of the Princess of Mercury.

As the initial agony eased into a steady ache, Endymion felt something missing inside of himself…but how could that be possible? He had not been in battle, had not used his power in years!

_No, no…_ He felt inside himself. _No, it's still there… What is this emptiness? What is this—_Gods above!

He pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the agony that simple movement caused. _Sweetheart? Bunny? Where are you?_

"Endymion!" Andrew called after the retreating back of his friend. "Endymion!"

* * *

_STAND UP!_

Endy…

Serena felt the pain and darkness closing around herself. _No… No…_ She tried to search for him, madly tried to push herself up, but it was all in vain. Moaning, curling into a ball, she tried to nurse the wound, wherever it was.

_Endy, help me… Endy…_

STAND UP!

She ignored her mother's commands…and anyway, she couldn't obey them; she wasn't in control of her own body. How did her mother expect her to stand up when she couldn't even feel her legs?

_Bunny? Sweetheart?_

Endy! She reached for him and pulled him close. _Oh, Gods…I had thought I'd lost you._

Never, he vowed. _Never._

The whining iron door to the practice hall squeaked and in came her husband. Serena saw the same pain etched into his face and went for him, but her husband had already caught her first in his arms. Nestling closer, feeling his warmth surrounding her, she found that the pain had eased a little…

_Sweetheart?_

I'm here, he murmured, and kissed her. _I'm here, Bunny. Always._

I love you! I love you… She held him closer, kissing him just as ardently as he was kissing her.

Eventually, the pain eased into a dull ache, and then nothing more than a throb. When she could finally feel her body again, she raised her head and looked into his eyes, the eyes that bore the same scar.

_I love you,_ he murmured and, brushing her golden tresses back, kissed her again, as though couldn't help himself. He drank from her, felt her small, delicate form pressing closer, and the world slowly began to disappear, like it always did when they kissed like this…

And in that frozen moment in time, Queen Serenity realized that the universe was already lost.

* * *

~Crystal Selena


	5. The Separation

Disclaimer:  
Sailor Moon and the characters do not belong to me… All standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Love is strong yet delicate.  
It can be broken.  
To truly love is to understand this.  
To be in love is to respect this.  
– Stephen Packer –

* * *

Serena pressed herself closer to her husband as her mother approached them. Tightening her hand around his, she forced herself to stay calm.

"You are not supposed to have it," the Queen said, her eyes sad and suddenly weary.

"Have what?" Serena asked, alarmed to see the sudden change of disposition in her mother.

"The bond."

"What bond?" came Serena's confused question, but the arms around her tightened, and she tipped her head to look at her husband.

Endymion took hold of her chin and looked into her eyes, willing her to understand. _Our bond, Sweetheart._

What our bond?

Sweetheart, we share a bond…remember that day on the River Vivaldi? Remember when I chased after you?

Yes. A small smile lit up her face. _I would never forget that day, Endy._ Slowly, understanding dawned in her eyes, and she looked at her mother once before turning back to her husband. _You mean when we were riding back…on your horse…when…_ She trailed off as her husband nodded and smiled at her. (AN: another reference to "To Serena, With My Love.")

_Yes, Sweetheart. We're soul-bound._

Another smile lit up her face. _I do rather like the sound of that._

However, her husband had turned back to the Queen as he helped them both stand. "We are not supposed to have this bond between us?"

The Queen found a chair to sit in and sighed heavily. "No, Children. You are not supposed to. No one is supposed to… The Gods above have decreed it, and it has not been broken since the beginning of time…"

"Until us," Endymion finished her thought and pulled his wife closer to him. "But why? Why are people not supposed to share this bond?"

The look that Queen Serenity sent him was full of sorrow. "Not people, Endymion. Not just merely people."

Understanding dawned once again on Endymion's face. Chasing fast on the heels of understanding was despair. His jaw tightened. "Because Serena is a goddess."

"I am?"

Endymion looked down on his wife's startled and confused face. "Sweetheart, you carry the immortal Blood of the Moon Kingdom."

"Immortal?" she face was scrunched up, and then she embraced him fiercely. "I will not lose you, Endy. Never!" the oath was vehement and surprised both her husband and her mother.

"Of course you won't, Sweetheart," he kissed her again and looked into her half-crazed eyes. "But what does that have to do with immortality?"

"I am an immortal, and you are a mortal, which means that I shall naturally outlive you. But when you die, Endy, I swear, I shall follow you and make the Angel of Death take me."

Endymion suddenly felt the sweetness of love piercing his heart again and his eyes misted. "Sweetheart," he murmured, smoothing back a lock of hair. She had temporarily abandoned the thought of the looming war and instead focused on a future that was yet uncertain. "Sweetheart," he repeated, "you will be called to take your rightful place among the Gods and Goddesses when your time comes. That is different from death—"

She tugged at his hand violently. "I know that's different from death! I have read about it, I've known from the manuscripts I learned on the Moon! Most people think of it as death, yes, but as the sole guardians of the universe living in this world, the Queens of Moon are called to their places among the Divines sooner or later. It is always already written before their births. But I swear by them, and by all that I hold dear, that when you leave me, I shall relinquish all my claims to immortality and follow you wherever you will go."

Endymion kissed his wife ardently and brushed away the tears from her pale cheeks. "Sweetheart, our love is too great to be separated by Death again," he murmured again, sensing that the battles had already been lost, sensing that the world would alas come to an end.

However, the Queen spoke again, softly, sadly. "That is why I could bring you back from Death, that is why I _had_ to bring you back. You are immortal." The Queen rubbed her eyes. "I had never thought that such a soul-to-soul bond existed, that it could exist, between anyone. But yesterday, as I taught Serena mental balance and defense, I sensed something in her that I had not expected. So I probed deeper, but I did not realize the reason for this anomaly until this morning. I was angry, I was so angry that I tried to break the bond you have."

"That explains the absolute agony and the engulfing void," Endymion said grimly, hugging his wife closer.

"Why, Mother? Why?" Serena asked, quietly now, fixing her mother with a steady gaze.

The Queen sighed again and looked older by the moment. "Foolish me, I thought I would undo what was already in the making." Sighing again, she looked at the couple in front of her and begged them to understand. "My mother left me a warning. At the time, I thought it was harmless…and romantic, even. She told me of a prophecy that has been told since the beginning of time…a prophecy that came true with you."

Serena blinked in confusion, trying to take in the flood of information. Her husband's eyes, however, had clouded over with realization. Endymion's arms tightened around her even more, and Serena squirmed, trying to ease the sudden panic. Her husband had never reacted this way before, had never…

"Oh Gods," he breathed, and looked down on his confused wife. Defying all codes of propriety again, he hauled her closer to him and pressed his lips to hers. At first, Serena hesitated, uncertain of where this conversation was leading, but as the kiss deepened, she decided that she would deal with the conversation later.

Queen Serenity looked at the couple in front of her and sighed yet again.

_I cannot undo what these two have already put into motion._

* * *

"You're leaving for the Moon tomorrow morning," Endymion said bleakly as he held the door to their chambers open for her.

Surprise stretched across her already tired face, and Endymion hated having put her in such a position. Ignoring the door, he wrapped her into the comfort of his arms again, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "Your Mother and the Scouts will come with you."

But the surprise was still there. "What about you? Are you coming with me?" Sudden fear and the recognition of her premonition made her grip his arms hard.

"No," he shook his head with a smile and tried to reassure her. "I'll be fine here with Leto. You need to get away from all these worries for a little while so you can learn what the Queen will teach you in peace."

She frowned to hide the panic that erupted in her. "No. I'll stay here. Or you'll come with me."

"Sweetheart," he sighed and kissed her again. "Sweetheart, you know that you need to…"

"I only know that I need to be next to you," was her stubborn response.

Endymion closed his eyes and swallowed back the million reasons that were about to pour from him. _No,_ he reminded himself. _She already has enough to worry about as it is…and anyway, if she knew the reason… No. I have to convince her…_

Endy, she whispered, curling her arms around him. _Endy, I cannot leave you, especially at a time like this… You have all the military tactics to worry about, which I have not kept up with…I'm really sorry, I just can't…_

Shh, Endymion closed the door behind him with his foot and hugged her tightly.

She embraced him, knowing that whatever he had in mind, she could not persuade him otherwise. And it did make sense…with all this commotion around her, she could not possibly concentrate solely on the task of learning, and anyway, she needed time to know her Scouts before they went to battle…time that she couldn't afford here on Earth.

Kissing him again, she smiled her smile full of dimples and ruffled his hair. _Go take a bath and get some rest. It's been a long day. I'll go say goodbye to Leto and Sam and my parents._

He nodded and kneaded her shoulders, smiling when he heard her content sigh. _I have no objections to that,_ he tipped her chin and looked into her eyes with a cocky grin. _However, I was hoping for something else before that…_

She blinked and then laughed, blushing as she reached for his shirt.

His hands stopped hers and the smile he gave her melted her bones. _Who said this had to be quick?_

Endy, I do have… Her thoughts trailed off as he kissed her, gently at first. _Endy! I'm leaving tomorrow morning, and Leto…_ Again her thoughts trailed off as the kiss turned carnal and his hands started wandering. _Endy!_

That's it, Sweetheart. He dipped his head and she did not try to hide her delight. _I promise I will make you think of nothing but me…feel nothing but me…sense nothing but me…_

She moaned low in her throat as his fingers began unlacing her gown.

_Know nothing but me…_

And she knew with a certainty that he would keep his word.

Like he always did.

* * *

"Take care of Papa while I'm gone," she kissed Leto's forehead and felt tears misting over.

"Papa," Leto repeated, blinking at his mother in his child's innocence.

"Papa…" a lump rose in her throat as she remembered her premonitions. "Papa may get hurt, and we don't want that now, do we?" Bouncing her son in her arms, she kissed the child's forehead again. "So, keep an eye out for Papa while Mama's gone, Leto. Mama will see both of you a little later." Hugging her child, she swallowed her tears again. "Be careful. Mama will miss you terribly."

The child tugged at her mother's thumb and giggled. "Mama. Mama…"

"I love you, Leto. I love you."

"Mama!"

* * *

"Serena? Is that you? What are you doing here?"

Serena moved soundlessly from the foot of the bed toward her brother. Her mortal brother. The word stung and reminded her yet again that she must help her mother win this battle. Otherwise…

"Serena, say something," Sam sat up and looked at the shadowy planes of his sister's face. Oh, she had changed so much…so much… Where had his little sister gone off?

_To maturity, Sam. To maturity and knowledge._

Startled, Sam looked at her slim figure under the moonlight. He'd heard about this power of hers…of the Moon. It was another bitter reminder of the lost times that were never to be recaptured again.

_Sam, I came to say goodbye._

"Goodbye?" She sounded final. Too final.

"Yes, Sam," she sat at the edge of his bed and took his hand in hers. "Sam, I leave on the morrow for the Moon. In all likelihood, I will not see you for quite some time, at least until Endy sends for me, which I'm sure he won't. That stubborn fool," she said softly and tried to smile at her brother. "Don't you worry about me. I have Mother and all the Scouts to take care of me. You, on the other hand," tears rose and she pushed them back. He mustn't know how serious this was. "You take care of yourself and our parents and Belle and Chandler."

Sam swallowed. "What about Leto?"

"He will be staying with Endy, unless Artemis and Luna miraculously show up before the sun rises tomorrow. In that case, Leto will go with them. Right now," tears fell down her cheeks and she tried to sound at least somewhat normal. "Right now I barely have time to sleep, let alone taking care of little Leto. Keep an eye out for him, and also for Endy, won't you? That husband of mine's obstinacy rivals the great Apollo himself."

Sam was speechless, but he hugged his sister tightly, feeling her tears and the weight of the universe upon her shoulders. "My sweet sister, go with my love. Don't worry about our parents and me. I will make sure we're taken care of."

Serena took a shaky breath and nodded. Letting him go, she rose to her feet but stood a moment gazing at him before saying, "Do not let this pass beyond the palace walls. This trip for the Moon is secret."

Another reminder. "Yes, sweet sister. I love you."

"And I love you, my dear Sammy."

* * *

Serena sat in one of the cushioned chairs and scrutinized her husband's sleeping face. Having said her goodbyes to Leto, Sam, and her parents, her only regret now was not having found her husband sooner…if only they had met sooner, if only she could have one more moment of the pinnacle to which they'd always soared to…

_And you shall again, my sweet._

Startled, she looked at him, but he had not moved an inch and gave no indication whatsoever that he had whispered to her soul.

It would be so hard come morning. It would be so hard. Impossible. How could she leave him? He would be so far away that she would not be able to save him when the time came. So far away! She swallowed hard and scanned the even rise and fall of his chest, the arm flung toward her as though he knew she was there. That hard stomach, the little arrow of hair…

She found that her mouth had dried and she was suddenly warm. The flimsy sheet that covered him left little to the imagination, although she could picture—and feel, and taste—every perfect part of him more than she knew the back of her hand.

She sighed softly and let her eyes linger on that Adonis body for a moment longer. She looked about the room and remembered that time when she'd barged into his chambers and demanded him about a pen. A reluctant smile rose at the thought. It had been a lifetime ago, before they were married…before, even, they had realized that they loved each other.

_How much time do we have before dawn?_ His hand slid down her body and a shiver raced through her.

_Two hours at the most, my love._ She clung to him, surrendered to the magic of his body.

_Only two hours? We shall see about that._

* * *

When she finally did wake up, the sun had already risen, but she didn't move from her comfortable spot in her husband's arms.

_Good morning._

Good morning to you too, she looked up at his face and she felt the vices of love binding them closer. A moment of contemplative silence passed between them, and then he sat up, kissing her soundly.

_I'll hunt down some breakfast for you, Sweetheart._ He tried to move away, but her arms tightened around him. At his questioning gaze, she smiled at him and let him kiss her again.

_Help me get dressed,_ she murmured, caressing the face she loved with all her heart.

A swift passage of surprise crossed his face, but his smile was radiant. She had never asked him to help her dress; it had become somewhat of an unspoken ritual between them in their years together. However, today was no ordinary day, and…

Tears threatened to spill and he kissed her again. This time, it was sweet and long, the kind of kiss that bound.

In fact, helping was an understatement. As he slipped the gown on her, his fingers coaxed and caressed, a whisper of the night before, a whisper of things yet to come…if they both survived. Tears threatened again, but both refused to let them fall.

_Endy._

Yes, Sweetheart? He kissed her hair softly as he laced up her gown.

_Endy, I don't know what will happen to you after I'm gone—_

My silly Bunny, he teased, framing his wife's face. _I'll be down here discussing military strategies with my generals all day long._

She glared at him. _That's not what I meant and you know it._

Oh Gods, he was not ready for this conversation. But they'd put off the inevitable for far too long…if…

Serena reached up and let her fingers trail over that amazingly handsome face. _Sweetheart,_ she sighed, the familiar dread settling into her stomach. _Sweetheart, I do not have a good feeling about this… Let me finish, Endy. We've already run out of time._ When he quieted down and looked at her expectantly, she began again. _I truly don't have a good feeling about what's to come. You…_ She choked on the unshed tears but made herself continue. _I fear you may not survive…_

_Sweetheart, of course I will,_ he assured her with a smile that never reached his eyes. _After all, I still have nine more children to make with you._

She looked sad but a reluctant smile graced her face. _Be careful, Endy. I meant what I said to you yesterday. If you die, I will not hesitate to relinquish my Blood and come after you._

He only hugged her tight and brushed another kiss across her lips.

* * *

Serena said her last goodbyes to her loved ones and especially bade Andrew to take care of her Endy. At the thought of him, she raised her head and scanned the gardens, but he was not there.

After they'd dressed each other, he had went to search for breakfast, and although she did not question him, she knew he needed a moment alone…perhaps more than a moment, from the looks of it. They were about to lift-off, yet he was nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps it was better this way. She didn't think she could tear herself away from his arms had he been here. It was hard enough when he wasn't here.

"Serena," Mina reminded her gently, and she looked at her friend, the same sorrow in those eyes.

Mina was leaving Andrew.

Serena swallowed back her tears and, with a last glance, turned to head for the doors. She dared not reach out for him; it was hard enough as it was. Gently reminding herself of that fact, she couldn't help herself when she stopped and turned around to seek him in the small crowd again.

And as she'd known, he had come.

Rooted to the spot, she watched speechlessly as he approached her with that sad and loving look in his eyes. The fingers that entwined with hers were gentle. And then he kissed her, and the kiss was anything but gentle.

_I love you,_ his whisper caressed her soul. _Remember that, Sweetheart. Don't ever forget it._

With a strangled sob, she kissed him again, holding him close, afraid that this would after all be the last time she… _Endy!_ She cried helplessly. _Endy, I love you. Don't you die on me…I swear to you, I will come after your hide myself._

_I know._ Gently he wiped the tears away from her cheeks. _Be careful._ He set her down on her feet and watched as she slowly backed away from him, toward the doors of the spaceship. The tears burned, but, oh, he would not let them fall. He would not let her know how impossible this was, how much he would miss her…

_Be careful, Sweetheart. I will come after you if you don't take care of yourself._

No, no, Endy… Just love me, like you promised. Just love me.

I do.

* * *

Hey guys! I'm soooooo uber sorry about this update taking forever! i just had a final for my first mod in school and now i'm going into my second mod of nursing school. But I'm going to try to do weekly updates with this story for you guys!

Also if i get a certain amount of reviews I'll update the story faster ;)

~Crystal Selena


	6. The Prophecy

Disclaimer:  
Sailor Moon and the characters do not belong to me… All standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

_In the dawn of Time  
When the Universe was still young  
The Divines erected the race of Men  
The race that shall flourish  
The race that shall dominate all others  
The race that shall keep in its possession  
The Riddle of Love_

_The Divines realized Their folly_  
_And forbade the Riddle's discovery_  
_For, it is whispered, when the Riddle is unraveled_  
_A shadow shall emerge_  
_From the depths of the Universe_

_The Divines feared this_  
_For They have no control over this Thing_  
_This Thing which has been called Love_  
_For Love, it is said, fashions Its own Way_

_And so the Divines descended_  
_To guard the Riddle and the Universe_  
_First appeared the Moon Goddess_  
_Followed by her Sentinels_  
_Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter_  
_And for millennia_  
_The Unfathomable Riddle is sheltered_

_Until there comes a time_  
_When a Wingèd Goddess descends the Heavens_  
_With extraordinary beauty and wisdom_  
_And, above all, Power beyond imagination_

_Men shall adore Her_  
_Men shall revere Her_  
_Men shall worship Her_  
_Yet the Goddess_  
_She shall disregard all of them_  
_Save One_

_For, among the race of Men_  
_One shall stand out_  
_One whose beauty and wisdom,_  
_And, above all, Power_  
_Shall rival Hers_  
_And that One_  
_He will steal Her Heart and Body_  
_And, with infinite Love, Her Soul_

_Between them_  
_The Unfathomable Riddle shall be discovered and unlocked_  
_And a shadow shall emerge from the darkest corners of the Universe_  
_A dark shadow that shall alas bring an End to the World_

_But there shall be among Men those who resist_  
_And the Goddess shall stand next to Her Soulmate_  
_Never wavering, in Her Love or in Her Soul_  
_As Men fall, one by one_

_For, it is said_  
_Fate is not unkind_  
_And Hope always prevails_

_And Love_  
_Love always fashions Its own Ways_

* * *

You will never know true happiness  
Until you have truly loved  
And you will never understand  
What pain really is  
Until you have lost it.  
– Anonymous –

* * *

Serena watched him, tears blurring her eyes, as he became no more than an ant on the ground, and still she did not move from her seat by the windows, until the clouds had totally obstructed her view.

_Child…_

She turned to look at the silver-haired Goddess standing in the dimly lit hallway. _Mother._

How could she forgive the Queen, when her mother had blatantly tried to break her soul-bond? A soul-bond existed on a subconscious level…and once formed, outside forces could never break it. However, if a soul-bond ever came under pressure, pressure like the Queen had applied in her attempt to break it, agonizing pain would result…

Serena shivered and stood. That pain had left an imprint on her; she would never forget it for the rest of her days…

_Mother, come. Explain more of the prophecy to me._

* * *

"Love is not forbidden between the Divines and the race of Men," Queen Serenity said softly, gently, with a sad, wistful smile. "It is not encouraged, of course… The Blood must be maintained, because it is the Blood that makes us immortal…makes us who we are. But there were those of us who dallied…and within the race of Men, there are now demigods, who have unnatural strength and power and beauty and, above all, unnatural life spans."

"Time," Serena whispered. "Time is all we ever have…"

"Exactly," the Queen's smile was wan. "Demigods are simply Men with long lives…they do not wield Power unless given to them by the Divines. And they die. They are not called back to the Heavens. But soul-bonds…they are forbidden between the Mortals and Immortals."

"Why?" Serena asked quietly, sensing the precipice.

"Soul-bonds, once formed, cannot be undone."

Thunderstruck, Serena nearly spilled the cup of tea in her hands. Her mother nodded once and looked away, out the windows of the ship.

"You mean…" her voice sounded even faint to her. "You mean to say that Soulmates…are bound for Eternity?"

"Yes."

It took her more than a few moments. Then, "Does my husband know of this?"

"Yes." Queen Serenity looked away again. "He is extraordinarily gifted, Child. He knows these things just as naturally as he loves you."

"But how?" Serena insisted.

"The lore is passed down through generations, my Child. Knowledge is never lost to time." In the moment of silence that passed between them, the Queen turned back to look at her daughter and felt the bittersweet sting of tears. "That is why soul-bonds are forbidden, because the Divines have no control over the works of Love. And once it's formed…it can't be destroyed. So when the Immortal's time has come, she or he must leave this world…"

Understanding flashed. "And leave the one that I love," she finished in a whisper and looked at her mother. "But that's impossible! I can't leave him, Mother, and you know that."

"That's why soul-bonds are forbidden. The souls of the Mortals cycle, but Time is not kind…" the Queen paused, not knowing how to explain this to her daughter without presenting the inevitable. Serena, however, was ahead of her mother.

"So the cycles of the Immortal and the Mortal do not always meet…"

"And the Immortal watches, knowing that the Mortal would never have more than the memory of the current lifetime. And the Immortal waste away, until no Healer can weave the Healing magic…"

"And I will no longer exist in the sands of Time," Serena blanched. "But, Mother, surely Love is not so cruel. I will learn patience, and I will be content with that rare chance to be with him again. Once in a while, my cycle will mesh with his, and at least for one lifetime, I will…"

The Queen shook her head sharply. "Will you, my Child? Even now, when you are no more than a planet away from him, you're in pain, wishing and hoping that you will see him soon, afraid that you will not."

Serena swallowed. Her mother was right, as always.

"To lose a Divine…it will bring unthinkable destruction," the Queen continued, with a sad smile. "Unthinkable and unimaginable."

Serena nodded. "I remember what I learned on the other side…when I was dead."

"Yes, and I hope you will never forget. And even with Death separating you from him, you crossed the threshold every night. How do you think you will feel when you're a world away from him, when you cannot breach the barrier that separate you from him?"

Serena was silent for a moment, and when she looked at her mother, there were tears in her eyes. "But, Mother, surely Love is not a…a bad thing. Surely a soul-bond is not so bad…"

"No, Child. Love is not such a bad thing. If you survive, you will have a chance yet. 'For, it is said, Fate is not unkind, and Hope always prevails,' " the Queen quoted. "And all you can do is hope and love."

" 'And Love…Love always fashions Its own Ways,' " Serena whispered, sighing softly.

"Yes. There is a slim chance that you will survive and not waste away, but it's too slim. It is the wasting away that the Divines guard against. And this is why…" the Queen paused and took a deep breath. "This is why soul-bonds are also forbidden between the Divines."

Serena frowned. "Because their cycles will not mesh?"

"They rarely do," the Queen shook her head slightly.

Serena sat there and looked closely at her mother and a pang hit her. Gently, she said, "My Father is an Immortal."

The Queen didn't look surprised. "Yes."

"And They took him away before you can form a soul-bond."

"Yes."

"But between Endy and I…it happened so fast that They did not have time to react. And soul-bonds are only strengthened, not weakened, with Time and Love."

"Yes," the Queen tried to smile through her tears. "I searched for you for so many years…but since I am in this world, I could not look at where you went…I could not ask the Others."

"And so I was lost to time…until you heard of Endy's marriage," Serena stood and went to the windows, looking out across the twinkling stars in the distance. "Mother, he will die. I saw it. He will die."

"But you do not know the timeframe," the Queen objected. "You only think that it will happen soon."

"My mind tells me that he will die, and my heart and soul tells me that it will happen while I am gone from him. But once his mind is made up…" she paused and blinked back the wave of tears. "Mother, is soul-bond forbidden between Mortals?"

"No, but Men do not form soul-bonds." The Queen rubbed her temples. She felt old, an odd sensation, for she was an Immortal.

Serena hesitated but asked the question anyway: "What about Mina and Andrew?"

"The Sentinels are demigoddesses given the duty of protecting the Moon Goddess. Mina and Andrew are in no danger, for between them, they cannot form the soul-bond. After they die, it is up to Fate whether they will meet in another lifetime. As for you, Moon Goddesses must be full Blooded, and you are, my Child."

Serena swallowed, trying to take in all this information. Suddenly, a flash of metal caught her eyes and she frowned, dread settling into her.

The Queen was silent and drank from her teacup, slowly stirring the contents mindlessly, lost in the memories of the one Immortal she could not have.

"Mother," Serena said sharply. "Mother."

"Yes, my Child?" the Queen raised her eyes to her daughter's and saw the dread there. "Serena?" standing up, the Queen followed her daughter down the narrow corridors.

"Come, Mother," she urged. "We have to find the Scouts."

* * *

They found them poring over the coordinates in the control room. Serena felt the dread again as she looked into their grim faces.

"We were hoping we could hold the news for a while until we find a way to get to the Moon," Mina spoke for the group, momentarily pausing in her work.

Serena shook her head lightly. "I saw it." Walking around the tables littered with papers and holographs, squeezing past the Scouts in the cramped control room, she looked at the coordinates and felt the blood drain away from her face. The ship they had taken had been small and defenseless, because they'd hoped to avoid detection. Though, Serena added to herself, trade had been significantly reduced when news of destruction had reached the galaxy. The few ships that crossed between the Moon and Earth were the audacious or the desperate.

They were the desperate.

It seemed as though the enemy knew their plans. In fact, a squadron had been dispatched to meet them.

And there was no way that they could make it to the Moon in time, which meant that a confrontation could not be avoided.

Raye, Princess of Mars, Goddess of War, began to issue orders as they prepared themselves for a confrontation. Serena took a deep breath and readied herself. If she could generate a force field around the ship…if she could create a shield large enough to encompass the ship…then they would have a chance.

"Mother, I need your help." Reaching into herself, she felt the first spark and then the steady flow of energy. Concentrating, she let the energy flow from her to the ship and half turned toward the Queen for help. "Mother?" she asked sharply when her mother did not respond to her calls.

The Queen was leaning against the wall, her gray eyes glazed over. Alarmed, Serena rushed to support her as the Queen lost her footing and began to fall.

"Mother!"

The Scouts looked up in alarm and a silence followed. The Queen closed and then opened her eyes with a small smile.

"They are calling me."

She did not have to explain. Serena felt the dread again and shook her mother slightly. "Don't leave me, Mother. Not now. I need you. Mother!"

The Queen took a deep breath and looked around the control room. "Take care of Serena for me," she whispered, drawing another breath as she turned to look at her daughter. _Don't ever give up, Serena. Don't ever give up._

_Mother!_ The tears blurred her eyes again and she shook the woman in her arms. _Mother, I need you. We need you._

They are calling me.

The Queen's eyes closed. _I love you, Serenity._

Mother, don't go…

Goodbye, my Child.

* * *

Endymion swore.

He swore again as boots echoed down the hallway.

"Gods above," Andrew whispered as several dots on the screen blinked ever closer. "Endymion, we must do something. We must dispatch our troops to—"

"No!" Endymion took a deep breath and paced the room. "No, that would be shouting in the enemy's face that they're in that ship. Let's hope to the Gods above that the enemy is only suspecting."

"It's already too late," Chad added. "There's no way that we can make it to them in time."

Endymion swore as the doors were thrown open. Artemis stood there with Luna, hoods thrown back, the familiar expression of fear on both their faces. The King turned sharply and looked at them, a million questions waiting to roll off his tongue, yet he restrained himself. There was no time.

"Mobilize the troops, my lord," Artemis said gravely. "The enemy attacks within three days."

* * *

A deafening silence followed. Endymion had paled visibly, but he quickly recovered and sat back in his chair. Questions and concerns crowded his mind, but he pushed them aside.

His wife came first.

Balancing and weighing the options in his mind, he unconsciously began to tap the cool marble table and sent out a tendril thought toward his wife.

_Bunny?_

He immediately recognized what she was trying to do and sent a rush of energy toward her without hesitation.

_Thank you, Sweetheart._

He did not respond. He did not have to. Instead, he hugged her soul closer to his and frowned. He could feel it…something had gone terribly wrong. Something beside the impending confrontation… Casting his mind around, Endymion realized that his wife was alone in this attempt.

The Queen.

His mother-in-law.

_Bunny?_

She began to shake and he held her tight, pressing a comforting kiss toward her. He had so hoped that it would not come down to this, that she would not have to shoulder everything alone. It seemed as though his hope had been in vain.

* * *

_Mother! No!_

Tears began to fall as her mother's body stilled. Serena felt her mother leaving and tried to hang on, to at least hold on for a few moments more, because…

There was a flash of light and Serena covered her eyes, surprised to feel her cheeks wet with tears. Was she crying? No, there was no time for that now. There was never enough time.

As the light dimmed, Serena opened her eyes and nearly panicked when she did not feel her mother's body in her arms. A flashing Crystal pulsed with life in the Queen's place.

_The Silver Crystal._

"The Silver Crystal," Mina whispered, in shock as the events unraveled. "Her Majesty has gone to the Heavens and left Serena the Crystal."

"The Blood makes her Immortal, yet it is the Crystal that gives the Queens their Power." Raye rubbed her eyes hard and looked again. The Crystal's light had dimmed but it still pulsed with a life of its own. There was another flash of light and the Scouts covered their eyes.

It was an odd sensation. Not entirely unpleasant, but it would definitely take her some time to get used to all this Power within herself. Breathing deeply, Serena felt the Crystal mesh with her life and her energy…and became, essentially, her life force. Immediately, she felt and sensed things she never could before…and at the forefront of that was the danger that faced them. Extending her energies again, she tried to generate at least a force field in time so the enemy ships would be disoriented, even if for a short amount of time.

Anything would do. Anything!

_Bunny?_

She held herself from running to him and felt the pulse of energy from him. A little relieved, she felt their energies mesh perfectly and the force field slowly began to form. _Thank you, Sweetheart._ His arms settled around her and she resisted the urge to just close her eyes and succumb to the grief threatening to pour at any moment.

_Bunny?_

He had sensed it. He felt it, just like she had known he would. Shaking with repressed emotions, she forced her mind back to the task at hand. Now that the Universe was resting on her shoulders, she must keep herself safe before facing the enemy, because she certainly was not ready to do that now.

The force field was not easy to create, but she did manage to hold it in place while spinning a shield around the ship. That was no easy task, either. It was like losing little pieces of herself to create the shield, and though the ship was small, it was still a very physically large object.

More energy rushed to her, through her, leaving her, to join the shield. In a corner of her mind, she held tight onto her husband, afraid that if she let go now, he, too, would leave her, just like her mother had.

_I love you, Endy._ The little corner of her mind repeated it like a mantra to him, and the emotions bouncing down their link was unmistakable: love. She felt immense relief as he brought her closer to him. He was not leaving her any time soon…

When the enemy ships breached the force field, she felt as though it was a physical pain. Gasping, she increased the flow of energy, desperate that she should finish the shield in time. Otherwise, there was no chance they could survive, what with twenty ships out there ready to fire on them at will. Since she had had no chance to learn and practice the Craft, the most powerful Craft known to Men—and probably to the Divines, as well—now was not the time for the last battle. And nothing short of using the Crystal would get them out of the trouble they were in.

A strange light glowed and joined hers. Confused, Serena turned to see the Scouts, all of them eyes closed and sudden understanding flashed. They, too, like her, had Power from the Crystals given to them by the Divines. Their Crafts.

The shield became easier to make, but by now she could see the black at the edge of her vision. Steeling herself for the last push, she felt the shield snapping into place and reached out for her husband as she fell heedless into the welcoming blackness.

* * *

Hey guys! I'm soooooo uber sorry about this update taking forever! i just had a final for my first mod in school and now i'm going into my second mod of nursing school. But I'm going to try to do weekly updates with this story for you guys!

Also if i get a certain amount of reviews I'll update the story faster ;)

~Crystal Selena


	7. Bereavement

Disclaimer:  
Sailor Moon and the characters do not belong to me… All standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Let the world stop turning,  
Let the sun stop burning,  
Let them tell me love's not worth going through.  
If it all falls apart,  
I will know deep in my heart,  
The only dream that mattered had come true  
…In this life I was loved by you.

– Bette Midler –

* * *

She felt consciousness lifting her above the darkness she'd fallen into. Even with her eyes closed, she knew she was in her room on the Moon. The way the sun slanted into the room, the distinct fragrance of rose, and the way the bed molded to her body and allowed her to sink into a restful sleep…

"Serena?"

She opened her eyes and looked at the Scouts…they were now hers, after her mother…

Sudden grief rose as a lump in her throat and she blinked back a wave of tears. In their faces, there was that same line of weariness, of resignation, of sorrow.

"What happened?" she asked.

The Scouts looked at each other, uncertain of how to proceed. Finally, Mina spoke in a low, raw voice. Serenity immediately recognized that tone: grief.

"The shield protected us," Mina said softly. "The enemy retreated, but they know now that we're on the Moon."

"Did they fire?"

"No. I think they know that firing on a shield is pointless."

She rubbed her forehead. "How long was I gone?"

"A day."

Serenity sighed and pushed herself out of bed. "Will you come back in half an hour? I want to take a bath first and collect my thoughts before facing my people."

The Scout nodded but hesitated a moment. Serenity knew what they were thinking, and gave them a reassuring smile. "I feel fine, and time is no longer a luxury. I have to make this public appearance soon."

They nodded in understanding and, without a word, filed out of the bedroom.

* * *

Sinking into the bathtub of warm water, she felt his arms enclosing her and poured out all her grief, knowing that by this time tonight, she would no longer have the luxury. By this time tonight, she would have to deal with the onslaught of state affairs, and on top of that, she also had the urgent task of acquainting herself with the Silver Crystal.

Her most immediate worry now was to draw up a speech in half an hour. The people needed to be reassured, but she could not lie to them. Diplomacy and tact had never been her strong suits; how was she to tell her people that their beloved Queen had just passed on and that they might all die in three days or ten or a month?

_How's Leto?_ She sent the thought toward her husband. Having recently lost her mother, she could not help but feel even more protective toward and anxious for her son. He would do great things some day, but at the looks of the war facing them, he…

Grief and panic constricted her throat. The future of her son had not been revealed to her, and it was both a relief and a source of frustration. She did not want to know what was to become of her son, yet she felt that panic, knowing that she had already lost her mother, knowing deep down in her heart that she would also lose many more of her loved ones. Yet, if Leto…

_No,_ she chided herself. _Don't think that way. As always, no news is good news. I mustn't take the lack of premonitions as a bad omen. After all, I would know if he were in danger. He is my son, and he went through Death with me. Not many mothers can claim that._ A rueful smile touched her face. Certainly not something she would boast, but at this moment, survival mattered the most.

That, naturally, led to her ultimate fear: she had foreseen his death; she had foreseen the death of her husband. She did not think—no, she _knew_ she would not survive without him. He was…she was not sure what he was, but since her Death experience, he'd somehow become more than simply half her soul and all of her heart. He…if he left her, what would she do? A painful path toward her fall as a Goddess? And what would become of her heritage? What would happen after she fell? Would Leto guard the Universe in her place? No, the Guardians had always been the Queens. A male was denied ascendancy to the throne. And she had not a daughter; she had not conceived a second child for all that time she spent alone in her husband's company, although she could now count off how many hours per day she was actually with him.

And if her instincts were right, he would leave her while she was on the Moon… The order of the Universe would be disturbed—more than disturbed. Everything would come crashing down. Oh, the Divines were right to fear the unveiling and unraveling of the Riddle. They had been right in fearing Love's Power…but oh how could they leave each other? How could she continue her existence if he were not at her side?

Silent tears fell as that thought. Grief swallowed her again.

_Sweetheart…_ came his voice, soft, soothing, a caress of his soul.

After a moment she began to gather herself together and collect her thoughts. This was all the grieving she would have time for… _Leto?_

_Fine. He misses you, Bunny. He misses you like I do._

Her heart swelled painfully. _Take care of him, Sweetheart. One day he will be known as Leto the Great, when his time comes. Let us just hope that he does not have to leave before his time._

His kiss was soft and his embrace warm. She felt his fingers stroking her hair and then her face and let another smile surface. Her Endy…all hers, for Eternity…

_Yes, Sweetheart. For Eternity. I rather fancy the sound of that. Don't you?_

The smile widened reluctantly. _Yes, Endy._

There had been no sound, but she felt the presence of her Scouts and sighed. _Sweetheart, I love you._

Another kiss, and he went away. She realized that he probably had more to worry about at the moment. She'd heard her Scouts talking…the enemy was attacking in three days, and she needed to make the decision tonight…the Lunarians were fierce and loyal fighters, especially in a cause that they believed in.

Closing herself and taking a deep breath, she lifted herself from the tub and reached for a towel. Time enough to admire the marble after the Universe is saved; right now, she had a speech to make.

* * *

"No! We cannot abandon the Earthlings!" Mina was saying heatedly in the spacious conference room, her blue eyes flashing angrily. She was standing up, her fingers clutching so hard at the marble table that they were turning white. Her face had thinned over the course of the past few weeks; her cheeks had sunk, and with an ominous feeling in her stomach, Serena also realized that the exuberance and cheerfulness that she'd always associated with Mina were long gone.

"We can't send Lunarians to their deaths!" Raye barked sharply, pushing herself to her feet, as well. "Especially at this crucial moment. We need our soldiers here! Allies or not, they have not formally requested our aid!"

"That's because their leader will never put me in such a position," Serena said softly in the silence that followed. Endymion would never put his wife in such a difficult position; he would rather fight on alone than to draw her soldiers away from her. And as such, Serenity did not think her guards would be able to protect her, if it really came down to that.

But of course, her husband would do anything to stall for time and try to give her the time she desperately needed to prevent the destruction of the Universe. He would do anything, including sacrificing his own life.

A sudden lump rose in her throat and she swallowed. Mina and Raye were both right; she could not abandon the Earthlings, who had long existed in rapport with the Lunarians. They had long been unspoken allies and trading partners. She could not abandon the Earthlings, especially when her husband and Leto and Sam and her parents were still there. At the same time, she could not order the full mobilization of her army to fight alongside the Earthlings; that would be offering herself to the enemy.

"My lady—"

"Serenity or Serena, take your pick," she repeated once again.

"Serenity—" Amy began, and the Queen succeeded in keeping the wry smile that wanted to surface, "—we have to find a middle ground; Endymion and the Earthlings would understand."

"Yes, they'd understand," Serenity nodded with a dry smile. "Endymion would also understand if we don't send a word to them."

Amy exchanged a glance with the rest of the Scouts. Ever since the late Queen's passing on, Serenity had undergone a dramatic and frightening change. Gone were the laughing blue eyes they remembered; instead, a cynical and calculating Serenity emerged.

"We'll provide them with ships. They'll need to have transportation to come here," Serenity said decisively. "The Earthlings will last quite a while, but the enemy is strong. I'll go down to the dock later; the ships all need to have shields. Amy, how's that invisibility mode looking?"

Amy shook her head. "Not fully developed yet."

"Work on that when you have time. In the meanwhile, we'll just have to wait for the enemy," Serenity pushed herself to her feet. "Let me know immediately if there are any changes. I'll be in my bedchambers with the Crystal."

The Scouts nodded and Serenity left the conference room. The servants scurried along the hallways and bowed their heads low as they darted past her. Serenity sighed; her people did not know her. After all, they hadn't watched her grow up amongst them. They still had that wariness about them that she disliked immensely; however, only time could heal that.

Dismissing the fully armored guards from their post in front of her chambers, she moved quickly toward the cushions in the corner and settled herself upon them. Sinking into the trance, she steadied herself and tried to erase the worries from her mind so that all she heard and thought of was the beating of her heart.

Her heartfelt and extemporaneous speech had done much for her people to trust her. They all shared in the grief of losing the late Queen. However, the formal coronation would not be held until the enemy has been taken care of, and she did not wear the Crown, although her Sentinels had thought otherwise. It did affect her people the way she'd wanted to, but…

Forcing her mind away from these worries, Serenity tried again to sink into the trance. She must be in sync with the Crystal; she knew that to draw upon the Power, she must be perfectly attuned to the Silver Crystal at all times. Time! Time mocked her.

* * *

Artemis hurried along the empty hallways and without a knock pushed the doors to Endymion's chambers open.

"My lord—" but he could not utter more than those two words. Endymion was standing at the windows, rocking his Leto, who was wrapped up in blankets. Endymion's back was turned, but Artemis felt a swell of emotion rolling up in him. The King was also a father.

"My lord," Artemis tried again. "We require your presence. Immediately."

Endymion turned and did not put his son down. Instead, he brought the sleeping Leto with him. Artemis no longer questioned such actions…they had so little time.

* * *

_Serenity—_

Jarred from her concentration, Serenity's connection with the Crystal snapped and she gasped softly at the twinge of pain. No use blaming Lita; after all, she'd told them to inform her if anything came up. Besides, she was making ample progress with the Crystal in the days since the late Queen's passing on…ample, but not enough.

_Yes, Lita?_ Must be news from the battle on Earth. She ignored the tightening in her throat.

_We need you at the dock. We're sending out more ships._

Not a good sign. The Earthlings had held out for more than a week now. They're weakening under the rapidly advancing enemy.

_I'll be there in a moment. Have the reports ready when I get down there, please._

Of course. Lita dropped her line and Serenity took a moment to gather her thoughts before hurrying down the hallways. The situation was becoming dire and yet she still had not fully mastered the Power. If given another week, she should be able to channel the Power and be in sync with it, although she still would have no idea whether it would do for destroying the enemy.

Amy caught up with her and rushed through an oral report. Serenity took in the latest statistics and could not help the despair. There was nothing more she could do at the moment; her own hands were tied. But her husband…her husband still had not requested aid, though that was almost predictable, but his soldiers were not having any luck on Earth. Serenity admitted to herself that even her own soldiers would have no better luck. The Earthlings were fierce fighters, and her Endy was the greatest military strategist alive. His fighting skills were incomparable; she'd seen proof of it herself when she saw his shields. That golden aura…

"Serenity…"

"Yes?" she paused on the landing and looked back at Amy's grim face.

"The enemy is fast approaching the palace…"

Serenity closed her eyes for a moment and sent up a prayer to whatever Divine was listening. "How long?" she asked, not surprised in the least to hear that her question had come out as a strangled sob.

"Forty-eight hours at the most."

Serenity let that fact sink into her mind. _My Endy…_ No, she hadn't the time. "Thank you, Amy," she whispered and took deep, calming breaths before continuing her journey toward the docks. Amy followed behind her without a word, thinking of a particular man on Earth, the man who was fighting with Endymion and Andrew, the man who had never said much but who had nevertheless caught her eye…

Serenity stopped at the docks. For a moment, the dockworkers ceased their movements and stared at her from atop the ships, but the moment was shattered when Mina stepped forward to update her on the statistics again.

_I need your help._ She sent the thought toward her Scouts. _I've been greatly weakened by the Crystal._

They had no need to answer. Serenity watched the last of the dockworkers complete their tasks and then slide down the ladders. The Lunarian people were a fair race, she mused. Fair skin, white or silver hair for all ages, graceful movements… She alone had the golden hair; blue eyes were also a rarity among her people. Her mother's eyes had been gray…perhaps her appearance would change with the use of the Power.

The workers cleared the area for her quickly. Taking a deep breath, Serenity sank into the trance and reached for her Power. It was not without pain, but that was miniscule when compared with the lives these ships would save. Her Sentinels' Powers joined hers and she felt the energy streaming out of her and closed her eyes. There was a blinding flash of light, and then Serenity was leaning against Raye, looking tired. As always, shields took the stuff of life, especially when around an inanimate object the size of a ship.

The pilots climbed up the ladders and slid into the cockpits. She felt a twinge of fear. Under normal conditions, pilots would not be needed, but since there were traps from here to Earth, human instincts were needed to steer the ships. She saluted them as they took off toward the dark space.

_Conference room. Now._ She sent the command to her Sentinels and without another word headed back toward the palace. She knew she should've stopped and spoken to some of the workers, to comfort them, but she was neither in the mood nor strong enough just now.

"I was hoping you could help me with the Crystal," she confided when the door to the conference room had closed behind them.

They all looked surprised. "But how can we help you?" was Mina's question.

"I'm not sure," Serenity found a chair and sat down, not bothering to mask her fatigue. "I've been working nonstop with the Crystal for the past week and a half, but something's not right, and I don't know how to explain this… I feel like I'm missing something."

The Sentinels surrounded her. "Your mother had never encountered anything like that," Raye said, frowning. "That's strange. The late Queen would not have left you with half the Crystal…"

There was a moment of silence, and then Mina sighed and shook her head. "Get some sleep, Serenity. Most likely it's your lack of rest that prevents you from tapping fully into the Power."

Serenity stood reluctantly. "Maybe you're right," she consented and rubbed her temples. "You girls should too. It's not going to help us if we all drop dead from fatigue."

Smiles graced their faces. Perhaps the old Serena had not yet completely disappeared… Mina certainly hoped so. She did not wish for Serena to take a backseat simply because Serenity had to be here. If Serenity were to defeat the enemy, she would need all of Serena's ingenuity and passion for life.

* * *

Serenity woke with a start. Disoriented at first, she simply lay on her bed, and then, suddenly, she knew. Bolting out of bed, she ran toward the control room, her heart beating wildly.

Something was wrong. Something was terribly, horribly wrong…

_Endy? Sweetheart?_

No response. She tried not to choke on the panic that was rising inside her. Bursting into the control room, she found her Sentinels and practically the entire army's generals inside, bustling. At her unkempt entrance, they all ceased their movements and turned to stare at her. Serenity looked desperately to her Sentinels and suddenly her heart froze.

"No…"

She could not breathe. _Endy! Endy, answer me!_

Sweetheart?

Relief flooded her, so much so that she had to lean against the doorframe for a moment, closing her eyes and swallowing convulsively. _Endy, are you well?_

Yes, as well as I'll ever be, I suppose. A slight hesitation, and suddenly Serenity knew.

"No…no…" her fingers tightened on fistfuls of her dressing gown and she tried frantically to keep the tears inside. "No. No…" Mina stepped forward and hugged her tightly. Serenity trembled. _No, no, not Sam. Not my parents. No…not again…_

Sweetheart…

Mina tightened her hold on her dear friend as the tears spilt. Serenity cried bitterly, cried for lost innocence, cried for lost times…hadn't she asked Sam to take care, hadn't he promised her that he would? Hadn't they all been carefree, once upon a time, when time was still a luxury? Those days were long gone. Her past had already left her. No more living proof of those untroubled days, those days when she rode Belle and relaxed under the sun in Open Glade, talking to Gilroy the fish. Long gone were those days…

Her husband's love bounced down the link again, so much so that she almost lost her footing. And suddenly reminded of what she could yet lose, she clung to him tightly, refusing to let him go, afraid that he would be next, afraid that he, after all, would have no choice but to leave her…

_I love you, Endy,_ she said to him fiercely. _I love you and I will never let you go. Never._

And I expect nothing less from you, Sweetheart. His voice thrummed and he embraced her. In a moment, however, he was forced to leave this private conversation, as all of his concentration was required to do whatever he could to keep himself alive.

_I'll put Serenity to bed._ Mina sent the thought toward the other Sentinels and gently led her friend away as soon as the others had agreed.

Oddly, Serenity had pulled herself together by the time she scrambled into bed unceremoniously. There was a determined look on her face that Mina feared… Having now lost the late Queen, her parents, and Sam, Serenity was pinning all her hopes on Leto and Endymion, and it was not healthy. Mina knew about Serenity's premonition, the one concerning Endymion…and if anything, Serenity's instincts were often right, especially under present circumstances, especially since she was soul-bound to the subject of her premonition.

"Get some sleep, Serena," Mina murmured, tucking her distraught friend into bed. "I'll be with the others in the control room."

"Mina…"

"Yes?"

"Andrew, he…"

Mina winced and closed her eyes. "He's all right, Serena. He's with Endymion."

That did not bode well. Serena reached up and hugged her friend. "Oh, Mina, why did I do it?"

Mina smiled sadly. "You did it for Love, Serena. And Love is something you cannot stop…I would know that; I am Venus."

"Thank you," she whispered and let go. "Mina, you will let me know if…if anything comes up?"

"Of course, Serena. Of course I will. Now, get some rest. You need it."

Mina passed her hand over Serenity's face and the Queen entered the realm of sleep, but Mina knew that it was not to be restful. She could do nothing about that, however. Her Powers only extended so far, especially in comparison to the Silver Crystal that pulsed within the sleeping blonde.

Sighing, she went away.

* * *

The morning dawned cold and misty as Serenity dressed. Her fingers were numb. Previous night's events had left her in a state of semi-shock, but she would recover. However, the deaths of her parents and Sam almost seemed like a preamble to the death of Endymion…

Walking calmly into the control room, she ignored the glances that she received. The recent deaths were still too fresh and too raw, but as always, time, for her, for all of them, had become a luxury.

She felt helpless as she watched the battle progress in front of her, on the screen. There was nothing she could do; she could not send aid, in part because her husband had stubbornly refused to ask, but mostly because she could not spare her troops even if she'd wanted to.

Restless, she restrained the urge to stand up and pace the room. There was absolutely no need to let her people know how anxious she was. It would not help if her people started panicking more than they already were.

She needed to go back to the Crystal. She needed to find that missing part; it was more than synchronization. Simply in sync with the Crystal was no longer enough; there was something else to the Craft that she—and her Sentinels—had not known about. No matter how hard she thought, however, she could not fathom what could possibly be missing. The Crystal was whole and intact, and so was she. There was no reason that it would not work, but there was something missing in the puzzle. She could feel it in her bones. Something crucial, very crucial was missing…yet she was no closer to realizing the missing piece than she'd been when she first felt it.

And suddenly, quite unexpectedly, the agony exploded in her. Screaming, she clutched at her chest, sobbing, reaching blindly out for the son who was going before his time.

_Leto! Leto, Sweetie!_

Mama! came the cry of a child beyond the borders of Time.

"Leto! Leto…" she sobbed, blind to the Sentinels that surrounded and attempted to calm her. "Leto…my son, my dear son…"

"Serena," Mina shook her friend's shoulders gently. She had to be roused from this stupor…and quickly. Considering her bond to her son, after Death, losing him would be torturous agony. The Crystal was also reacting—a light had surrounded her. "Serena, listen to me—"

Mina was cut off by a hollow, piercing shriek. She recoiled on instinct, dropping her friend in the process. No, not possible. Not possible…not yet, not yet. She crawled over to her friend and slapped her cheeks. _No, no, Endymion, no, you can't just leave her…_ Serenity was thrashing on the floor, incoherent words rushing past her lips, her face impossibly pale.

_ENDY! ENDY! NO! No, don't leave me…_ She hung on to him, felt his essence fading. _NO!_

Sweetheart… a gentle caress, a soft kiss, a last embrace…

_NO! NO! Endy, don't you dare leave me! No, hang on… Hang on… I love you! I LOVE YOU! NO! _His essence was fading fast. His arms were locked tightly about her, and she could feel fear. Not fear of Death…fear that they would be separated, that he would not find her again for another eon… She hung on tighter, unable to bear this wrenching agony.

And just as suddenly as it had started, Serenity fell silent in a limp, a tangle of hair and gown, as the Crystal exploded in a blinding flash of light.

The Queen lay quiescent on the floor of the control room, a trickle of her Blood inching silently and terrifyingly down her jaw

* * *

Hey guys! I'm soooooo uber sorry about this update taking forever! i just had a final for my first mod in school and now i'm going into my second mod of nursing school. But I'm going to try to do weekly updates with this story for you guys!

Also if i get a certain amount of reviews I'll update the story faster ;)

~Crystal Selena


	8. Mortality

Disclaimer:  
Sailor Moon and the characters do not belong to me… All standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

If I go away  
What would still remain of me?  
The ghost within your eyes?  
The whisper in your sighs?  
You see… Believe  
And I'm always there.  
– by Jon Oliva –

* * *

Mina tried not to fidget as the ships docked. From her vantage point, she could see the dents and discoloration on the ships, a telling sign of the traps they'd survived. As soon as it was safe, she rushed outside, searching among the sudden swarm of survivors for the familiar face of her husband.

"Andrew!" she called as soon as his sandy hair was spotted.

He whipped around and a smile spread across his face at the sight of her. Mina tried not to burst into tears; there was dried blood on him, so much that she feared he'd been injured badly. She struggled to maintain her calm mask; it would not do if the Lunarians saw her throwing herself at Andrew. She settled for a warm embrace and smiled weakly, inquiring after the battle. As painful as it was bound to have been, tact had to take a second place.

Over her husband's shoulders, she saw the others: Greg, looking unusually pale, as blood-soaked as Andrew was; Chad, strangely subdued, his arm bound in bandages and his eyes bloodshot; Ken, when he strode off the ship, had a hard expression on his face, and the bloody bandages were visible beneath his collar.

And suddenly, Mina felt glad that her Andrew was relatively uninjured. She could feel his bandaged ribs underneath her arms, but unlike Endymion, he…

Tears burned. What would happen to Serenity now?

She took charge of the situation and issued brief orders in Serenity's place. _Conference room. Follow me,_ she sent the thought to the Scouts, all of who were as engrossed as she was with Endymion's generals, and the generals themselves. Another lump rose in Mina's throat and she forced back the grief. _Artemis, Luna._ She added, seeing the haggard look on both their faces. Luna was supporting Artemis, and from the way the man limped, it was evident that he'd sustained a broken tibia. The bone had been set, but Mina worried that it might not heal properly from all the pressure Artemis was forced to put on it.

When the door to the conference room closed behind them, there was a moment of pregnant silence, broken only when Andrew attempted to bring them up to date concerning the enemy.

"Lightning fast," he said, too tired to shake his head. "We fought hard. Tried to stall for time."

Another moment of silence passed. "All of the survivors—those who managed to get to a ship—are here," Greg said, and Mina noticed that his hand was wrapped firmly around Amy's.

The wounds were too fresh, Mina decided. They needed some time to gather their thoughts…they weren't ready yet to give reports on the enemy just yet. However, another highly sensitive and deeply emotional subject awaited them. She had to bring it up…not only for all of them here in the conference room, but also for the woman who now lay in unconsciousness.

Swallowing hard, she took a deep breath and plunged:

"Endymion…"

Pain and rage and grief crossed the Generals' faces all at once, and Artemis turned away from the round table. Swallowing again, Mina pursued the subject. There was too much at stake. "Tell us what happened. Please."

A long moment of silence followed, and then Andrew attempted to speak. His voice was higher than usual and his eyes were misty.

"It was sudden," he said with some hesitation. "We were all close by him at the time, fighting by the gates. Sam and Ken had already perished the night before; they'd insisted on patrolling—in other words, fighting—at the nearest station, which was some miles away. Irene followed; she could not bear to let them go."

Silence was suddenly a constant companion in this spacious and grand room.

"Serenity, she—" Mina's voice caught, but Raye finished the sentence for her: "—Serenity felt it. She was woken from her sleep—the first she's had in a week—and went into shock, but seemed to recover until Leto and Endymion—" Raye suddenly couldn't speak.

Andrew paused a moment before he tried to speak: "We were at the gates," he repeated, softly. "We were at the gates and Endymion had his golden shield, so it was quite hard to catch his attention—" suddenly breaking off, Andrew made a noise and his fingers gripped the marble table. "Artemis," he said in a strangled voice, passing on the torch. Mina reached for her husband's hand and squeezed it tight, as much for his comfort as it was for hers.

Artemis did not speak or look at them for a long moment. He stared out on the palace grounds, his face expressionless, still putting pressure on that broken leg. He did not seem to care much for it, as though it was negligible in comparison to Endymion's fate.

"His Majesty was fighting," he said, as though Andrew hadn't spoken. "He was a blur among the soldiers. We expected as much, having fought with him for so long…but suddenly, he stopped dead. Just in the middle of it all. I didn't notice at first, but I did manage to see him over my shoulders. There was a wild look in his eyes that I dared not—"

Artemis took a long moment to collect himself. Then, he forced himself on: "He gave a roar of rage. I'd never seen him so infuriated, nor so wounded. He raced toward the palace, toward Leto, but it'd been too late—" This time he was interrupted by Chad, who had stood up so quickly that the chairs scraped sharply against the marble floor. His face was as white as the marble table in front of him, and his hands were curled into fists. Raye had an arm around him, and that seemed to calm him down.

"We don't know what happened exactly," Ken continued, his voice clipped and sharp with grief and anger. "When we got there, we saw Leto's blanket. It was—it was soaked in blood, just outside Endymion's chambers."

As the silence lengthened, Mina stirred and looked questioningly at the other Scouts. They all nodded slightly, and she prodded on: "And Endymion?"

"Gone." Artemis reached into the bag that Luna was carrying and drew out the King's sword. "This was left behind." Dried blood clung to the hilt and the scabbard and—no doubt—the sword itself. And suddenly, Mina was reminded of that trail of blood that had run down Serenity's jaw…

"Then he is not…dead?" Lita asked the silent room.

"We have no evidence," Ken whispered, swaying against the marble table.

"He's been taken by the enemy," Andrew shook his head desperately. "He's been taken by the enemy. They will…they will torture him, to get information from him. He will not say a word. He will not say a word that will betray Serena; he loves her—he loves her."

"And then he will be killed," Greg continued, his face still ashen. "There is little hope that he will survive. Leto has blown a hole right through him; I don't think…" Suddenly he looked up at Mina. "Serena? What about her?"

Quickly, Mina outlined what had happened in the control room, both when she'd gone into shock after her parents and Sam's deaths and then when Leto had left her. She paused after that, still shuddering as she remembered that hollow, piercing shriek when Endymion had been literally ripped from—

Raye finished the summary and another long silence followed. It seemed endless.

"She's been unconscious since," Amy said. "We have no idea what's going on in her. She…she seems to be hanging by the thread; she's an Immortal, but I…I don't think she can survive—"

Another long silence ensued, and then Mina stood up. "I'll order some baths and healers for you. Try to sleep; Luna, I'm afraid I'll have to—"

The dark-haired woman shook her head sharply. "Of course. I'll be in my lady's room as soon as Artemis finds somewhere to sit." And swaying alarmingly underneath her husband's weight, she led him away.

"Mina—"

"Not now, Andrew," she whispered, shaking her head. "Not now. Not when Serena's in such bad shape."

* * *

She was laid underneath the covers, looking pale and fragile in her great, four-poster bed. Her hair had been braided neatly; pain was etched across every line of her face. The trail of blood on her jaw could not be cleaned, no matter how hard they tried. The room was dark, as curtains had been lowered and all lights, except the single, lone candle sitting by the bed, were turned off.

This was how the others had found the Queen. Luna was passing her hand across Serenity's face, murmuring softly and unheard by the others. Then she sat back and shook her head.

"Luna?" Artemis questioned quietly. He had refused to stay in his room; he had to see her.

"I-I don't know what's happening," was Luna's response. "She won't wake up…and at any rate, I don't think we should wake her."

"Why not?" Amy asked, startled.

Luna turned her gray eyes upon the others and swallowed before speaking: "Unconsciousness is preferable for her right now…if she awakes, the agony will—will do great damage." Pausing hesitantly, she moved away from the Queen and looked at the others again. "She is an Immortal, but I don't think she'll survive Endymion's torture and murder."

A moment of silence, then Andrew burst out: "B-but the Silver Crystal—"

"—Only has so much Power," Luna finished the sentence sadly. "The Crystal will not give her another Soul if Endymion is killed."

A stunned silence passed over them and then, suddenly, Chad tore out of Raye's grasp and shouted: "We'll get Endymion back! We have to get him back; we can't fight on without him, and neither can Serena. And if she fails, everything in the entire Universe will fail— We can't let that happen; we have to get him back—"

"Yes, of course we have to—"

And there was general agreement that they would, until Amy timidly raised the question: "Where is he?"

Another moment of silence passed.

"We'll work on that," Mina said fiercely. "He must be taken to the enemy's headquarters on Earth; he can't be transported off the planet without a ship or magic, and neither has been detected. And Serena would surely know if the enemy is moving him or if something should happen—" her voice caught and failed.

The others moved toward the doors. They needed to find Endymion; if they got him back in time, then, perhaps, there was a chance yet for good to prevail…

* * *

_ENDY! I LOVE YOU!_

He hung on to those words like a lifeline and did not yield to the fire that danced on his every nerve. _Sweetheart…_

He had to resist it…he could not betray her; she was his Soul, and there was no way—no, he had to fight this unbearable agony, just for her sake…just for her sake—

"Whom do you serve?" came the coldly malicious voice.

Gritting his teeth, Endymion slowly opened his eyes and stared at the woman standing next to him, the woman who had forced him into this torture chamber, this chair with the straps and wires—

"Whom do you serve?" the woman repeated the question, softer this time, as she leaned down.

Turning his head sharply away, he did not have the time—or the energy—to choke on her excessive perfume. The finger that trailed down his face was well manicured, but he jerked away from her. In fact, he found the woman's touch—and the woman herself—intolerably repulsive. At the moment, he longed for the touch of his wife, a tender kiss, a soft smile, those blue eyes shining at him…

"Serenity still, I see."

"I have always and will always serve one Queen. Her name is Serenity." He spat the words at her and gasped at the consequent pain stretching his body beyond its capabilities. No—he had to hang on…his wife, his Bunny, his joy…he had to fight this pain, fight it off… She needed him like she'd never needed him before; he could feel it…it was a physical pain that mocked the torture chamber that he was in. She needed him, and yet he could not respond, could not answer her pleas— No, he'd promised her that he would always be by her side should she ever need him—

Screaming was beyond his body's ability now. He gasped and tried to draw in a full breath, but he was squeezed—squeezed through a tight space—he could not draw in enough air… His nerves were stretched painfully to cover his skin and muscles—yet numbness began to steal through his mind. If he could just hang on, if he could but hang on, then perhaps he could somehow get back to his wife… No, he could not succumb to that blackness at the edge…the woman would use it to her advantage, while he was unaware of his body… No—struggling for breath, he groped for her but she was simply beyond his reach— No, no, no… She needed him…not yet, not yet…hang on…

The blackness stole over his resisting body and mind.

* * *

Serenity bolted upright with a gasp and knocked over the bowl that Luna had been holding. Clutching her chest, she gasped and blindly scrambled off the bed, clambering across the great bedchamber toward the doors.

"No—no, my lady!" Luna grasped her hand and tried to pull her back.

"No…Endy…" she rasped, falling onto the soft, warm carpet. "Endy…" He was—there was agony and torture and— "Oh Endy…"

The doors opened at the moment and in walked Andrew and Mina. They both stared at the twitching Serenity on the carpet, at a loss. In a moment, however, they'd rushed over to Luna's side and helped her to lead the Queen back to her bed. It took a moment to contain Serenity, but she seemed to lose all her energy at once and collapsed back into unconsciousness.

"What happened?" Mina asked after the Queen had stopped moving.

Luna briefly told them what little there was to the tale and looked more worried than ever. "Something has happened to His Majesty…that's the only explanation…"

Andrew and Mina exchanged a glance. The incident did not bode well; obviously the couple was linked and bound and could feel each other's pain and joy. However, that meant that Serenity would be trapped in this state as long as Endymion was under torture.

Mina shuddered and closed her eyes. What would happen when the enemy finally killed Endymion, after they found that he would resist down to the last fiber in his body?—after, perhaps, they tried to overwhelm his last defenses and in the process tear him, quite literally, apart, until his body became cells floating in the air and sinking into the earth?

She had no answer, and she had no intention of finding it. Having known Endymion for so long—after having been his maid, she was not sure she could imagine and handle his death… And if she herself would have problems with it, what would happen to the rest of them—to his generals, who had fought with him for so long, to Artemis and Luna, who were more like brother and sister than servants—and lastly but most importantly of all, what would happen to Serenity? What would happen to the Wingèd Goddess who Descended? She was the last ray of Hope in a Universe that was crumbling…if she failed, everything they knew would also fail…

How long they both sat there, Mina did not know; it seemed hours, days, eons, had passed before a familiar voice cut across her concentration like a sharp knife.

_Mina! Andrew!_

They both started.

_Amy?_

Come down to the control room immediately!

Amy's voice was panicked, and abruptly she dropped the link with them. Exchanging another glance, Andrew explained the situation to Luna and they both rushed off after Mina. He drew his sword from the scabbard, adrenaline pouring into his veins. Battle called.

On the Moon? In the heavily guarded palace? How did that happen? Who breached their security measures and who dared provoke the Sailor Scouts at this time?

Amy's call had raised more questions than answers, and when they burst into the control room, both froze in mute incredulity: standing before them was the mighty and formidable Endymion, who, according to the latest information, had been captured and tortured—and apparently stood now in front of them, the characteristic golden shield surrounding his body, making him virtually impossible to hurt, although there was not a single person who wanted to hurt him, not even in defense.

Endymion?

The shock was evident around the room.

_What's going on?_ Mina shot the question at the others, who simply stood there and continued gaping at the King—or the body of the King, for, certainly, the person in Endymion's body could not be Endymion himself. He would never attack the Scouts and his generals; they were his friends, his family. And certainly, he would not attack his wife's personal guards—

_No idea!_ Came Raye's wild response. _We have no idea! We were working on the schematics when he showed up and started firing attacks at us. We barely had the time to dodge out of the way—_

I'm very surprised by that,

Greg cut in. _Endymion is known for his skills; he would not have missed if he'd taken aim, and he certainly did, since he took us all unawares. And he's missed—though barely—every time he'd fired—it's as though he's holding himself back or something—_

I don't know how he breached the security.

Lita cut Greg off. _Even now it's not registering. Does the system recognize him? How did he—?_

Andrew swerved out of the way of an attack and swore. Endymion would _never_ attack him intentionally; certainly this Endymion was brainwashed—his body taken over by the enemy—his demeanors were completely different!

Ken shoved his way through the mess around the control room toward his master. There had to be a way to bring Endymion under control so that he would not hurt another person—

The new Endymion turned and deftly sidestepped the sword that Ken thrust at him. Skillfully, he returned the offense with one of his own and easily unhanded Ken. Surprise had not been registered when suddenly, with no more than a glimmer, Endymion disappeared.

Surprise registered slowly, and then all of them slumped in relief. At least it hadn't turned into a bloodbath. The idea that they would have to hurt their leader to stop him did not exactly appeal to any of them.

"What was that?" Raye demanded furiously, punching a button on the screen just a tad too hard. The system still displayed the green light; all security measures in place and nothing had tipped off the countermeasures against an attack. Everything was perfectly fine, except Endymion, the new Endymion, had turned up in the palace and attacked his friends while the system hummed happily away—

"Let's just say we're all glad he didn't force our hands," Amy said, pushing herself upright and typing rapidly into the nearest controls. "He's gone; now we have to decide what to do about—"

"No!" Luna gasped and scrambled to her feet. "The Queen! She's left alone—"

As one, they all rushed outside and cursed the various hallways and stairways that connected the control room and Serenity's chambers.

_That must be why he's here!_ Andrew shouted at the others. _He's drawn to her—and he must be under the orders to kill her! Oh no, Serena's not going to hurt him; she's not going to defend herself—_

With a burst of energy, they ran faster, up the stairs and down the corridors…

* * *

Serenity awoke as soon as she felt him in the room. Amazement and relief flooded her, so much so that they overwhelmed the urgency and the feeling that something was wrong…

_Endy!_ She cried and reached for him.

He drew back, his eyelids fluttering.

Finally sensing that he was not how she'd remembered him to be, Serena stopped by the side of her bed and stared at him. _Endy? Sweetheart?_ But she encountered nothing more than barriers…barriers, strong barriers around him that she'd never felt before—

And his eyes were black! They were no longer that mysterious, swirling blue that she'd always known and loved— _Endy?_

He drew the sword and advanced on her. Gasping in shock, she stared at him. _Endy, you can't be— Endy, don't you remember me?_ She ducked beneath the sword and hurled herself across the bed to reach the sword Luna had left by the table—_his_ family heirloom, _his_ sword—

_Endy! Don't you remember me?_ She cried as metal clashed with metal. His golden shield flickered. _I'm your wife, Endy! Don't you remember—all those times we shared, the son we made—Endy, please, don't do this—_ She was forced to bring the blade up again. It clashed with his sword but did nothing to thwart him in his advances.

Serena retreated one step and then another until she was against the bed once more. Her knees hit the edge and gasping, she fell on top on the sheets, the sword slipping from her weak, trembling fingers.

_Endy…_ she caressed the word and began to weep earnestly. He did not remember her… _Endy, don't give in to those demons…fight them; I believe in you…I believe in you…I believe in us…_

His eyes flickered, but in a moment, he had the edge of his blade against her throat. Serena did not attempt to defend herself. If she could not bring him back—if she could not save him from this—whatever this was, living would mean nothing more to her. She had to believe in him, in the strength of their love, in the mere strength of their love…

_Endy…love me, just like you promised…_

She could see him now; she could see the real Endymion beating back the demons, the spells… The grip on his sword was slackening, and his eyes were flickering between black and blue… With a cry of love and triumph, she threw herself into his arms and pressed her face to his.

His eyes cleared to reveal the mysterious blue and his one arm began to curl around her. He began to return her kiss—oh how long had it been since he'd—

And the searing pain made him jerk, made the scream possible, and as it escaped his lips, he saw the horror on her face, in her beautiful blue eyes—

"NO!" she cried, catching him in her arms. _NO! ENDY, DON'T LEAVE ME AGAIN!_

The blood spattered and spilled from her fingertips. The tip of a dagger was lodged firmly in his chest, where his heart had beat but a moment earlier…

And again, she could feel that horrible sensation of his essence slipping from her…except this time, his essence was fading before she could gather him closer. The barriers had been let down and she held him, tears falling, as she saw the life in his eyes fade.

Endymion blinked and looked into the beautiful eyes he'd dreamed about and hung on to. With the last remaining crumb of energy, he reached up and gently wiped a tear from her cheek, caressing the soft skin under his thumb. He could see the blackness now—no, Death had to give him one more moment, just one more moment of drinking her in—

_Sweetheart—_ he rasped, kissing her Soul. _Sweetheart, I love you._

No, no, no… Endy, don't you dare— No, oh please no— NO! ENDY!

And with a chilling certainty, she watched the last remnants of life fading in his eyes, felt all his love cramming into her body—

_ENDY!_

* * *

I actually have no excuse for this late update. But i would like to dedicate this chapter to a good friend of mine who was murdered last monday. RIP Michelle Lynne Miller 9/1/1995 - 4/8/2013

~Crystal Selena


	9. Revival

Disclaimer:  
Sailor Moon and the characters do not belong to me… All standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

A part of you has grown in me.  
And so you see, it's you and me  
Together forever and never apart,  
Maybe in distance, but never in heart.  
– by Anonymous –

* * *

They stood in stunned silence and watched in mute fascination as the blood seeped from Endymion, as Serenity became frantic—as the tears flowed like they'd never stop.

It was Mina who first broke the sudden and eerie silence by cursing loudly. Serenity was physically safe now, but she didn't appear anywhere near the emotional stability they'd hoped for.

There had been no sound from her chambers when they'd first reached the long corridor, but that didn't mean there was not a struggle inside—for the chambers were soundproof, sealed with the ancient wood and plaster. Worried now more than ever, all of them held weapons at the ready and burst into the Queen's bedchambers, ready to defend her if it came to that.

But things had, once again, happened too fast. Endymion's form had towered above Serenity, but they could see her slim arms locking about him, as though she could physically pull him back to her. And then the sword had gleamed and one of them had let the dagger fly.

It had been Lita. She preferred daggers to swords, and within a second she'd let her reaction run after noticing the long, sharp sword that the King was still holding. And she always struck gold…the heart.

Her allegiance had been to the Queen; if she needed to kill Endymion to protect her, then she would—and so would all the other Scouts. However, the ultimate dilemma arose: the entire Universe needed the Queen to be safe and alive, yet her Soul would be so battered without her husband that she could barely live. With or without him, there was danger to her person.

Mina swore again. Under Serenity's emotional stress, the Crystal had begun to glow, and she felt the resonating beat of her own Power.

"No!" came Andrew's anguished cry as Endymion's body became limp in his wife's arms.

Before Mina could restrain Andrew, a blinding light flashed, and when it'd faded a moment later, they were awed to behold Serenity drawing the Crystal from her own body and—

"No!"

This time, it was from Raye, who, before anyone could intervene, had dashed across the room toward Serenity—

But whatever she'd meant to do—to stop Serenity, no doubt—was in vain. An invisible shield glowed silver and surrounded the lovers, so that when Raye dashed headlong into it, she was repelled and thrown clear across the room. There was a sickening crunch of bones and then Raye fell against the wall, unconscious. Chad immediately rushed to her side, motioning for Amy to take a look at the injured warrior.

Mina cursed again. She had no idea what Endymion's death had anything to do with the Silver Crystal, but she knew it couldn't bode well. Nothing like this had ever happened before…

And they watched with mute fascination and horror as the Silver Crystal, guided by Serenity's hands, slowly sank into Endymion.

* * *

_Endy, don't you dare refuse this. You know perfectly well that I cannot live without you._

Strangely, she felt calm and not at all panicked. This had been her premonition; this was what she'd seen. Her Endy would be killed by a dagger, and she would feel his life leaving her. This was her vision. Yet, she knew she had to do something to bring him back, because life without him would be meaningless and impossible.

And when she'd watched the life fading in his eyes, she realized that she _could_ bring him back—against the will of the Divines and just about everyone else in the Universe—but she had to do it. Without him, she had no Soul…and she didn't care to live through that experience again.

It was painful to draw the Silver Crystal from within her body; it had been more than painful…it felt like ripping her heart out…but she did it, because she had no other choice. Endymion lay dying in her arms and she had to use whatever means necessary to bring him back.

Even if it meant weakening—and possibly sacrificing—herself.

The Crystal had become such an integral part of her that its withdrawal might very well cause her death. However, she did not care at this moment.

Endymion had formed something around him, so that she could not give him her life. But he lay dying, and she slipped through his rapidly weakening defenses. He was not to refuse her this right; she had a claim to his life, to his Soul, to his love.

Holding the exhaustion just at the edge of her vision, she brushed his hair back and softly called to him: _Endy? Sweetheart?_

An answering heart beat beneath her fingers. _My sweet, sweet Bunny…_

With a content smile, she let the exhaustion overcome her and collapsed on top of the King.

* * *

Andrew entered the great bedchamber and blinked to adjust to the sudden darkness.

Amy stirred from her post next to the bed and rubbed her eyes. She evidently tried to smile but failed at the attempt, though both of them knew that the situation was looking worse and worse by the hour, by the minute—by the second, even.

"No changes?"

Amy shook her head and stood up, looking at the couple in bed. After the two had collapsed, and after they'd finally managed to regain some sense, they had put the two to bed, trying to find a way to heal them or help them heal, but…well, they couldn't find anything. Even Luna, whose lore of medicine and healing of generations dated back to the beginning of time, was at a loss.

Moreover, Endymion and Serenity had simply refused to be separated, even for an inch, even if just to check their pulse or breathing rate or some such procedures. Even in unconsciousness, they clutched at each other, as though afraid that one second of inattentiveness might lead to the other's disappearance.

"Go get something to eat," Andrew advised. "Greg's waiting for you by the Control Room, I think."

Amy looked reluctant to be away from the couple but she nodded and made toward the door. "Any changes?"

Shaking his head, Andrew knew that the blue-haired princess was referring to the Control Room. No enemy had shown up; they'd tightened the security measures around the Palace grounds for a third time in the past three days. None of them had slept or eaten normally in the past few weeks—and months—and they all took turns keeping watch on the couple.

"Let us know if anything changes," Amy said, and left.

* * *

Consciousness came slowly at first and then rushed in with a jolt. Pain flamed across his body and he almost groaned, but suddenly the soft and warm body in his arms registered and all thoughts of pain fled.

_Bunny?_

Disbelief and joy leapt in him as he—ignoring the pain—breathed deeply of the scent of her hair and skin and felt her soft arms wrapped firmly about him. Emotions rolled through him like a great wave. She was here! She was with him and—

Oh Gods, he wasn't dead already, was he? This couldn't be a dream, right? It felt too real—too real; it just couldn't be a dream.

Opening his eyes, he saw the blonde curls stretched across the white pillow and hugged her closer. He wanted to see her face and taste her kiss but not yet, not yet—Gods, this was Heaven. Her breath was tickling his shoulder but he didn't mind at all. Satin had been bunched in his hands—probably when he was unconscious—and underneath was her skin…

Another presence intruded upon his moment of bliss and he looked up sharply, his eyes narrowed. Then he saw an incredulous Andrew staring open-mouthed at him and wanted to laugh but thought better of it. Andrew had always looked comical with that expression…oh he'd missed all his friends. But not yet, not time yet for them. Right now, his beautiful Bunny—

Andrew recovered and nodded curtly, scrambling to leave the room to give the couple some privacy.

* * *

Well, wasn't this just comfortable and warm. Goodness, for the first time since forever, she was warm and protected. She wondered how long she'd slept and how long it'd been since she last saw him—

_Endy?_ She burst out, reaching for him. _You're…_

Yes, he murmured and the arms around her tightened. _Oh Gods, Sweetheart…_

With a soft cry of relief, she opened her eyes and stared at his face and those beautiful blue eyes. Oh how she'd missed him! How she'd… _Oh Endy, you're not hurt? Did the enemy—?_

No, no, not that bad— Blindly he seized her and kissed her savagely. Oh how long ago had he— _Oh Gods, Bunny, I-I'm so sorry—I couldn't—Leto, he—_

Wordlessly, she enveloped him in an embrace and stroked the guilt away from him, cleansing his soul with her love. They cried together for their lost son as they clung together, and for long moments, they shared the grief, until gently, with a sad smile, Endymion drew away—just for an inch—so he could kiss her.

And then she sighed and melted into his arms and a ferocious desire snaked through his veins. Suddenly he couldn't get enough of her—virtually ripping the nightgown away from her, he kissed her lips, her jaw, her throat, his fingers dancing across her stomach—

_Endy…_

Her soft moan of complete surrender heated his blood to impossible temperatures and frantically he kissed her again and tried to retain a semblance of control as she combed her fingers through his hair and tugged at the buttons on his shirt and the belt buckle—

_Oh Gods Buns—_

He'd been too long away from her, way too long—her kiss tasted like honey and her skin felt like fire and silk and the noises that she was making in the back of her throat became too much to bear, because if she—

_Oh Endy…_

She swept her hands down his back and retraced the muscles she'd known by heart. Too long, too long…it'd been too long. His touch was uninhibited and his kiss equally wild— Desperately she pressed herself against him and gripped his shoulders and kissed him fiercely and—

_Sweetheart—_

Oh Gods Endy, don't—don't stop— Oh Gods and Goddesses— I love you!

I love you too, he murmured. _My beautiful Bunny—_

And then it was over.

As she lay gasping for breath, she felt him attempting to move off her and tightened her arms in protest.

_Sweetheart, I don't want to crush you._

I don't care, she kissed his shoulder and held him close. _I don't care. I'm not letting you go again. Ever._

The obstinate girl in that voice made him smile. _Well, wife mine, I'm not letting you go again any time soon, either._

A moment of silence passed and then Endymion raised himself on his elbows to look into her blue eyes. Gods, he'd missed her so much…

"I love you," she murmured, brushing back a lock of hair from his forehead.

He turned his face and kissed her palm, closing his eyes. He didn't understand why she could forgive him and still love him after Leto and everything else, but he wasn't going to question it. She was a gift to him and he would not waste another moment wondering the why's and how's.

Serena smiled as he lowered his head to kiss her throat. Always attuned to him, she knew this hunger between them could never been satisfied. Never. Perhaps only temporarily sated, although by the looks of it that wouldn't be achieved for a while yet. The last time had been frenzied, blind; this time she would make sure to rediscover the dips and quivers of his muscles, the trembles in his touch, and she would savor them again and again until exhaustion claimed her.

No matter what awaited them in the future, this hunger would never change, and neither would their love.

* * *

Endymion gazed at his wife in reverent awe as he fingered a blonde curl and trailed a finger down her cheek. She sighed, murmured his name, and nestled closer to him.

They lay tangled in a confusion of hair, limbs, garbs, and sheets. Through the curtains, a thin shaft of light arced across the bedchamber and landed at the foot of the chaise next to the fireplace. Taking his eyes off his wife for a moment, Endymion surveyed her room and nodded to himself. It was quite comfortable, and also quite warm, though the fire hadn't been lit in the fireplace.

A painting of him hung above the mantel and his heart warmed. He admitted it was rather a romanticized painting, but he felt happy nevertheless, knowing that—well—she loved him so. Settling his eyes back on the beauty sleeping quietly in his arms, Endymion pulled her closer and closed his eyes, breathing in the unmistakable scent of her.

She stirred in his arms and he waited with bated breath as she awakened and stretched luxuriously underneath him. Her simple movement roused the hunger again, but he managed to rein in the beast and for a moment only held her.

Serenity raked a fingernail down his back and smiled when she felt him tense.

_Sweetheart, don't do that._

What will you do, kiss me? She did it again, just to taunt him. His arms tightened around her and he pressed a kiss to her shoulder, laughing.

He laid his head next to hers, gazing into her eyes. _Later. Right now I just want to look at you. Gods, Bunny, I've missed you so much._

Smiling, she reached out and brushed that stubborn lock of hair away from his forehead. _Well, look as long as you like, although I'm probably not at my best._

No, he kissed her fingertip. _You're beautiful, Bunny. So beautiful. I can just look at you like this forever._

Blushing, she buried her face in the crook of his neck. _You're embarrassing me, Endy._ But her embrace was soft, warm, welcoming, as exhaustion caught up with them again. He felt sleep claiming him and, just before he entered the realm of dreams, pulled her close and kissed her soul.

_I love you, Bunny._

I love you, too, Endy

* * *

The dreams came then, so swiftly and so suddenly that he could do no more than to witness them. And he was reminded of what he had seen, what he had discovered, while he remained in the Witch's clutches.

He'd finally found the secrets to unlocking his Power. His father had, after all, left him the instructions he needed. The Power had lain dormant and latent and was waiting for the moment of extreme trauma and strain to activate the hidden lore. Now that he knew how to access and use his Power…well, it'd take much practice, of that he was sure. But at least now he had a way to protect his sweet wife.

Even without opening his eyes, he knew it was still dark. Bunny lay asleep in his arms, sprawled unceremoniously on top of him, her arms wrapped firmly around his neck. Smiling, he brushed a kiss to the top of her head. Gods, this hunger for her would never end…and he had no desire for it to end.

Perhaps by now a new life was growing within her. They would have a new baby! Another child…of course, there were about ten more to make, but they wouldn't have to worry about that for a while. At least until this child is old enough so that they could sleep together for one night in peace without a baby's wails.

Leto…

Grief tightened its hand around his heart again. His son was gone, just like that. If he'd been—if he'd just been quicker, or more alert, perhaps…

No, no use regretting what had already happened. Leto was gone now, perhaps forever…if Fate would be kind enough to let his Soul cycle into the body of another baby they'd make…well, that was up to Fate. Leto was gone now, but his sweet Bunny was still here, quietly sleeping.

He had to protect her. If indeed a life was growing within her now, as it was highly likely—oh, how would he know such things? He was a man, after all. But he had to protect her. She was not yet ready to face the Witch; he could feel it. And she was unlikely to ever be ready; an essential piece of the Silver Crystal—or herself—was missing, and if she tried to defeat the Witch anyway, she would die in the effort, and he wasn't about to sit idly by.

No, he was going to protect her, and now he could, with his Power. It would take him a while to tap into the Power and discover its secrets, but he would do it, because she simply could not die. No. She just couldn't. She was all of his heart and Soul, and he would never let her go.

His wife shifted and murmured his name before sighing and slipping back to sleep.

He would help her to defeat the Witch; with their combined Power the Witch didn't stand a chance. Yet, he knew her reaction if his secret were discovered…she would be shocked, she would vehemently deny him this right to help her, and she would try to sacrifice her life so that he would live. No, she couldn't know. Which meant that the others couldn't know, either. He had to make sure no one suspected his plan. In fact, the only way for him to protect her without her knowledge was…well, to defeat the Witch altogether. Yes, he would do that, so that his wife would not have to do it.

But he'd be gone for hours on end and his concentration couldn't be jarred by any intrusions, which meant he had to make sure Bunny…but how could he? They were so accustomed to their form of communication that any deviation would be suspicious.

The only way to distance himself from her—no, no. He couldn't… He couldn't hurt her like that. No… He just couldn't do it; he loved her…

But if he had to choose between his life and hers, temporary pain and her life… There was no choice at all.

_Endy?_ Her voice drifted over him. She sounded sleepy and completely irresistible. _Endy, is anything wrong?_

No, Sweetheart, he murmured, as he started fresh explorations. Gods, tonight would be the last time he could touch her like this, the last time he could kiss her and murmur to her that he loved her so much it hurt. _No…nothing is wrong._

A bubbly giggle most unbefitting a queen erupted from her as he kissed his way down her body. _Endy, you know how ticklish I am,_ she scolded, tugging his head up from her knee so that she could kiss him.

Grinning, he relented and gazed into her laughing blue eyes. The impending future couldn't be further from her mind, he knew. And he wasn't going to disappoint her. At least for a few hours more, they could love and touch like Eternity belonged to them.

_Love me, Bunny. Just love me._

* * *

_I love you, Endy. So much that I don't know what to do with it._

A tear rolled down her cheek but she didn't bother to wipe it away. Her Endy was gone…something had changed while he was under the enemy's spell. Something in him had changed…and though she had hoped desperately that she could save him, could cleanse his Soul of all the evil and sorrow and pain he'd known…

Well, she'd failed. And she would have to pay one way or another. Both of them would have to pay.

She dreaded dawn and the morning. Reality would catch up with them so quickly—what would she do? What could she do? Perhaps she could try to Heal him again. That last time when they'd made love, he'd closed off his mind to her, but in that moment when she saw nothing but white, his Soul had been exposed to her—just like hers was exposed to him—and as ecstasy had swept through both of them, she felt his fear and saw the remnants of the enemy. The Witch, as he called her.

Serena stroked a finger across his face and kissed his lips softly. He didn't stir, but his arms did tighten around her. Smiling sadly, she let herself sink into his embrace and pressed her ear against his chest so she could hear his heart beat.

She had to try again. At least try again. He wasn't lost to her yet, not yet… All she had to do was to cling to their love, to him…but that wasn't enough anymore. Not anymore. Not after Sam and her parents and Leto and all those men who died fighting. He alone bore the burdens of all those souls…and he would not share that burden with her, because he was a stubborn mule.

_I love you, Endy._ She told him again, shifting in his arms to find a more comfortable spot. Dawn was approaching…the horizon was turning faintly pink. And with dawn, a new day would come…a new day with unpredictable changes and challenges.

Holding him close, she finally closed her eyes and sighed.

_Don't you ever forget that we're bound for Eternity. Don't you ever forget we love each other._

* * *

"Luna?"

The gray-eyed woman turned from the windows to her husband. "Yes?"

"Are you all right?" he tried to sit up but was stopped by his wife.

"You shouldn't put any pressure on that leg," Luna admonished with a small kiss. "Does it hurt still?"

"It's not so bad," Artemis said and took her into his arms. "I'm just really worried for Endymion and Serena."

"Yes. I am too."

Artemis tensed and pulled away slightly. "What do you mean?"

She worried her lip and drew herself closer to him. "I'm worried. Endymion has changed…and the future does not bode well. He will try to do something, but I couldn't see…"

"Will they survive?"

Luna took a long moment to answer. When she finally did, her voice wavered and tears stained her cheeks. "I don't think so."

For a moment Artemis was stunned into speechlessness. Then he sat up and fully looked into her face. "But how can that be? Whatever he means to do, it can't possibly… They love each other!"

"Yes! But the future is so misty and whatever Endymion does will be so damaging…" Luna paused and then plunged ahead: "I don't think they'll survive this storm, and if one of them should fail, the other won't live, either."

"So they're bringing their own destruction?"

"No. Yes, but no. Endymion has absolutely no idea the repercussions of his actions; he's counting on Serena's faith and love to sustain her. As for he himself…well, I don't know what he plans for himself, but if Serena discovers his intent… I don't know!" frustrated, Luna angrily tugged at her nightgown. "I can't see beyond the vision like I used to. I can't see beyond the misty veils. All I know is that Endymion will attempt something and they'll both be hurt and neither will survive."

Artemis was silent for a long moment as he stared incredulously at his wife. Then he closed his eyes and wearily passed a hand over his face. "So. We've come to it at last."

"Yes."

"And their love will not survive this."

"No."

"We'd hoped that the entire Universe would not have to come to depend on their love."

"Yes."

"But it's inevitable."

"Yes."

He sighed heavily. "Can't we—"

"Artemis!" Luna's retort was sharp. "You know we can't. Not even to the others. I'm bound by oath. The future can't be revealed, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," he lay back on the bed and tucked in the covers around them both. "We'll have to watch them falter and fail."

Luna swallowed hard against the lump in her throat and nodded.

"Gods help us."

A moment of silence passed but she could not help herself:

"The Divines won't be enough."

* * *

I actually have no excuse for this late update. But i would like to dedicate this chapter to a good friend of mine who was murdered last monday. RIP Michelle Lynne Miller 9/1/1995 - 4/8/2013

~Crystal Selena


	10. The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer:  
Sailor Moon and the characters do not belong to me… All standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

A part of you has grown in me.  
And so you see, it's you and me  
Together forever and never apart,  
Maybe in distance, but never in heart.  
– by Anonymous –

* * *

He was gone when she awakened.

It didn't surprise her, but his absence cut deep.

Swallowing back the panic, keeping herself rigidly under control, Serenity bathed and dressed herself, trying not to rush down the wide hallways in her need to see him and be with him.

He was with the Generals. He had to be. He was passing on vital information so they could strike the heart of the Witch.

Hesitantly, she reached out a tendril thought but his mind was completely closed off to her. So great was her shock that she stood motionless with her hand on the door.

But she really shouldn't have been surprised. Hadn't she sensed the change in him last night, even as he made excruciatingly slow love to her?

He'd changed. And she'd have to accept that. There was nothing more she could do, because if he made up his mind about carrying the burdens alone, he would not change it. But she had to try…had to try, some time, somehow. Because…well, it was simply a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach, as though if she didn't save him—didn't even try, for that matter—all would be lost.

She felt his presence long before she heard his voice or saw his form. She stopped just around the corner and, swallowing back the clamoring panic, stepped into the room and instantly found herself the attention of everyone present. She sought his eyes in the great conference room and when she found them, the breath sputtered from her.

His embrace and kiss were warm, oh so warm, and welcoming. Sighing, she smiled, scolding herself for ever having worried. He'd changed, yes, but he was still her husband and lover.

_Slept well?_ His voice was like a caress of Souls.

Smiling shyly up at him, she nodded. _I missed you._

His eyes were a glittering blue that took her breath away. Turning back to the others, whose faces had all split into grins, he tangled their fingers together and led her toward the mess on top of the marble table. She realized they were the blueprints and schematics of the palace and her heart sank. Reality had caught up; their time together was so limited…

_Breakfast yet?_

No, she hesitated but decided to only squeeze his hand. _Don't worry; I'll send for something later._

He gave her a glance full of love and turned back to the schematics, quickly reiterating all that he'd been saying to fill her in on all the latest information.

She couldn't help but notice that by the time the conference was adjourned, his hand had slipped from hers.

* * *

_Mother?_

Only silence greeted her. Slightly shifting her position amidst the cushions, Serenity called again: _Mother?_

Of course, she hadn't really expected an answer. The late Queen had been Called, though why at such an inopportune time, she couldn't tell. But the Divines had their plans; they always did. Well, except where the Riddle came in.

Sighing in frustration, Serenity opened her eyes and reached for the cup of water on the low table next to her. Judging from the angle of the sun, she realized that the last three hours had been spent in vain: all her efforts at unlocking the final door to the Silver Crystal had failed, much as they had for the past week and even from before Endymion's return.

Endymion. Sighing softly again, she glanced at the orderly bed and felt a pang of loss. He'd grown somewhat distant…she had barely seen him in the past two days, and…well, she could sense his withdrawal. He had not slept in their bed for the past two days, either, although where he had been at the ungodly hours of morning, she didn't know—and a part of her didn't want to know.

He was with the Generals and the Scouts, she reassured herself. Endymion felt guilty for having given in to the Witch, and she understood why. He was punishing himself; spending endless hours in front of the blueprints and trying to find a way to strike at the Witch were his ways of repentance, so to speak…even though it hadn't been his fault when his body finally yielded. It was a surprise that he'd held out as long as he did; in fact, she suspected that the extreme trauma his mind endured would not heal for many, many years to come. But she hoped that she could help him recover, and…

But she had not felt his arms surround her for a long time, and she had not tasted his kiss for even longer. And she missed him, so much that it hurt. She knew reality had caught up, but she'd hoped that once in a while they would be able to steal a moment from the rest of the world, much as they had the night they'd awakened to find each other.

The bed was too orderly, she finally decided. It reminded her of how much his absence left a hole in her. Walking quickly to the bed, she fluffed the pillows and pulled down the covers. But even then, she could not find that dent in his pillow, nor smell his musky scent.

Shuddering, she reached out for him and found his shields up and mind blocked. It no longer surprised her, but it still hurt.

Unable to reach him, she decided to go to the Conference Room. Usually she found the others there; perhaps he would be, too. If she found him, she would speak with him after supper and ask him if he could spare a night for her.

* * *

She was a lovely vision of white gown and blonde hair and blue eyes. He felt the weakness and tried to push it away, reminding himself what he had to do.

It didn't help.

Her smile was radiant, a little worried, yes, but still radiant for him—and for him alone. When she embraced him, it became too much and his arms slipped around her against his will.

Oh Gods, he should never have come down for supper.

_You look so tired,_ she whispered, brushing a lock of hair away from his eyes, the smile still radiant on her face. _Come inside and eat something. Sweetheart, are you cold?_

Her kiss was irresistible and greedily he returned it, pulling her closer and feeling the familiar reaction she always elicited from him.

_Endy?_

Yes?

He sensed her hesitation and knew that she'd noticed his long absence from her side. Did she know how tortuous those endless hours were? Pressing a reassuring kiss to her forehead, he waited patiently and decided that her fingers were too distracting. Seizing a slim hand, he brushed a kiss to every fingertip, still waiting for her, deciding this time that he would have the distracting fingers any day over—anything else.

Her heart warmed as she watched him kissing her fingers. The last time…oh, it'd been so long ago. So, so long ago. The solitude and dread ahead nudged her on and, swallowing, she murmured, _Sweetheart, after supper, will you…will you stay? In our chambers?_

He stilled. Oh Gods, she just had to make it so irresistible, didn't she?

She did not understand why he would be hesitating. After all, he'd been gone a long time and he'd worked tirelessly for so long; he deserved a rest and she was sure he wanted to at least nestle next to her for that rest. But, perhaps, he was far too busy…the Witch was very powerful, after all…

_Sweetheart?_ She whispered, worried and cautious, when his silence lengthened. By now, he'd let go of her fingers and his eyes were shuttered and hard as he looked at her. Shivering under that look, she burrowed closer to his body and, finding herself a little desperate, pressed her lips against his.

What started as a rather clumsy kiss became too much for both of them. If it weren't for the hallways, the garbs they had donned would not have been functional anymore by the time they drew away from each other.

He steadied himself against the wall and decided that she, in general, was distracting. Her slim fingers and small hands clutching his doublet didn't help. Those delicious lips tasted better every time; the resistance he'd built up against her over the past few days crumbled away as he looked into her dazed, smiling face.

Oh Gods.

_Food?_ He tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and turned the corner, leading her into the dining hall. She looked beautiful, so much so that he felt bedazzled. She was still wearing the same gown and had the same hairstyle, but she did indeed look more beautiful to him each and every passing moment.

He had not given her an answer and she tried to conceal her disappointment. She really couldn't blame him; after all, the Witch was very powerful and he had to…

Swallowing, she seized the fork and dug into her food, decidedly ignoring everyone else in attendance, her hands almost shaking. And he…well, he did not seem to have noticed. In fact, as soon as he had seated her next to him, as usual, he became engrossed in a conversation about—what was that? Oh, right—about shields with Amy and Greg.

No, really, she scolded herself. She should not be so selfish. They had brought this on themselves and everyone else in this Universe; it was their problem. But she had at least hoped that the journey would be easier, smoother, and less painful. Being physically away from him was extremely difficult, but at least they could still communicate. This emotional withdrawal felt like a bucket of ice water dumped over her head, and she was not sure what she'd done to require the punishment of ice water…

The Witch was powerful, she told herself resolutely for the millionth time. The Witch was powerful and she had to do her own part in this; namely, identifying and finding the vital missing part of the Crystal. She was not sure how the Crystal was returned to her, since she'd literally granted it to her husband, but the Crystal had its own magic and she was not going to argue with it. Perhaps he'd only needed it to bring him back and his body then sustained his mind…no, that had been a painful lesson crossing back and forth from Life and Death—especially for a Divine—and she was not going to remember such distress and misery when her husband was seated next to her, alive and safe and quite well.

Dinner drew to an uneventful end and, to her great surprise—and probably the surprise of everyone present—Endymion extended his hand and escorted her down the long corridors back to their chamber. As the gilded double doors appeared down the hallway, her throat tightened and her pulse jumped. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes and couldn't help but notice that his look was closed and aloof, hinting at the depth of his thoughts at the moment.

Mentally she recoiled and turned away. She had not known coldness from him…he'd been cold toward others, yes; she'd seen it. But he had always been warm, loving, affectionate, the perfect husband and friend…yet, now, he…

Endymion opened the door and she stepped through. A sudden lump rose in her throat. The bed was as she'd left it: the covers thrown back and the pillows fluffed in her vain effort to recreate the reassuring and sweet disorder of their bed after he'd been there. The cushions were arranged by the low table, the fire still burning in the fireplace, though less vigorously now.

Her husband moved toward the balcony and for a moment she simply drank in the sight of his broad shoulders and slim hips, the way he moved and the air of confidence he radiated. And then, after a slight hesitation, she followed and wrapped her arms around his waist, feeling the tense muscles and laying her face against his back.

For a moment, neither moved. Then he turned and tipped her chin up and looked into her eyes, and suddenly all that he'd promised himself not to do flew out the window. Her smile was still radiant, as she had no idea what he'd planned, and her fingers worked magic as they expertly loosened the knot on his back and just underneath his nape.

Oh Gods.

_Come inside,_ she murmured, continuing her magic, _it's rather cold out tonight._ And leading him into their bedchamber, she closed the doors and let down the curtains, flicking a finger at the fire and making it roar to life. Crackling wood accompanied the silence that followed in the next hour as she patiently loosened each and every knot in his body, never once asking him where he'd been or why he was so tense.

Serena decided that he looked too peacefully asleep to be disturbed and, as she gave a last soft caress to his foot, drew up the covers around him. By then, the air was warm enough that she could don her nightgown without shivering. Returning to their bed, she slipped next to him and smiled.

There would be a dent in his pillow and messy sheets to top, she realized and nestled closer to him. And tonight she would have the first restful sleep in days and hold him until reality caught up again.

* * *

Warm lips were pressed against hers and, squirming, she responded without a thought. Groggily she tried to grasp the time and perhaps why she felt so protected, but the kiss deepened and she surrendered with a soft moan.

_Endy,_ she sighed, wrapping her arms around him. The kiss deepened even more as his hand reached for the buttons on her nightgown.

_Why do all your nightgowns have buttons?_ He asked, trailing kisses down her throat.

_What? Oh. I don't know. Ask the seamstress._ Tugging his head up, she caressed his face and kissed him again, always so full of love. _Sweetheart, what time is it?_

It's still dark, he said and his fingers danced down her spine. She pressed herself closer to him and the hunger unwound itself and bound her tightly.

_In that case,_ she murmured, unbuttoning his shirt and feeling his racing heartbeat underneath her hand, _we have more than enough time._

His response was a low groan torn deep from within him, and his kiss deepened, intensified. She returned his stroke one by one, desperate to bridge the chasm that had suddenly sprung up between them, knowing, in the heart of her hearts, that it was already too late. But she hung on; she forced herself to forget thoughts of failure and despair.

And for one night at least, disregarding the inevitable future was easy, as skin touched and lips tasted. For one night, for the last night, they lay down their guards and threw caution to the winds.

* * *

"Artemis, Artemis! Wake up!"

The man with the broken leg struggled through sleep to consciousness and sat up in alarm when he saw the almost panicked look his wife wore.

"What is it?" he asked anxiously, hugging her tightly, trying to soothe her shaky nerves. "Darling, what's wrong?"

"I think…no, I _know_ he's going to do it. I don't know what, but he's set some sort of plan into motion. I'm so afraid for her, Artemis. So afraid. She won't…you understand, don't you, that if she listens to her head, we'll all lose? She must ignore what her senses tell her and listen to her heart, but you know how rational and logical she is."

Luna hugged him harder, still shaking. "And there's nothing we can do. I can't see their future and I don't know what he will try to do. And we can't do anything. Anything!"

"Shh… Everything will be fine, Luna. You know how strong their love is. They'll survive." Artemis gently combed his fingers through her hair in an attempt to calm her. If only he could believe what he said.

* * *

Endymion was sprawled unceremoniously on the bed with an arm firmly around her waist. Serenity smiled and pressed a kiss to his shoulder, swallowing back the tears again.

_I love you, Endy,_ she murmured to the vast space between them, not receiving any response and not really expecting one. She pulled herself impossibly close to him and gently brushed back the stubborn lock of hair that always insisted on falling into his eyes.

Briefly she wondered what he was dreaming of. Bygone happiness in another time and place? The sweet sound of Leto giggling? She herself, perhaps? Though most likely the Witch took the center stage in his dreams now.

Sighing softly, Serenity closed her eyes. She was so tired…a kind of bone-deep fatigue that she felt would never ever go away. The road ahead was so uncertain and she knew that she could not be there when he needed her—because he'd closed himself off, blocked his mind from hers, and detached himself from her, his wife, his heart, his soul.

Endymion stirred and she held her breath, waiting for those brilliant sapphire eyes to open. When they did, she caught her breath again at the sleepy and tousled face and leaned in to kiss him. He stilled and hesitated, and his response was slow and cautious. Drawing away, she tried not to show the disappointment and hurt and smiled at him.

_Slept well?_

Yes, he lied. She didn't need to know what he'd dreamed of and what had awakened him. The worry was plain on her face but he restrained from spilling his secrets. No. She couldn't know. She didn't need to know.

_Sweetheart, are you feeling ill?_ She questioned softly, determined to at least try.

_No. I'm fine._ Rolling away from her, he stared up at the canopy and pretended that he didn't notice the pained and confused look she sent his way. Oh Gods.

Serena looked hard at her husband and then at herself and decided to press the issue. She had to try; she couldn't lose him now, not after all they'd been through, not when they faced this battle.

_Endy,_ she murmured and slid next to him again, _are you sure?_

Yes.

Terse. Brusque. Cold.

Swallowing, she looked up into his face and lightly caressed those endearing features with a finger. Gods, she remembered those eyes full of laughter and that face soft with love. What had happened between them?

_Endy, why do you not call me Buns or Bunny or Sweetheart anymore?_

He glanced at her and shrugged, struggling not to show the desperation inside. Gods, had she any idea how difficult this was, to pretend that he could care less about her?

She recoiled as though physically struck and for a moment simply stared at him. When he continued his scrutiny of the canopy without any elaboration of his response, she bit her bottom lip and nodded slightly.

_…I see._

Slowly, she drew away from his warm embrace and swallowed hard to stop the tears from rising. Quickly she dressed and made toward the doors; she needed to be away from this godforsaken room she'd once called their bedchamber and her sanctuary. She wanted to hide, to heal this agony, to be away from him. Gods, where had she gone wrong? Had she not tried hard enough?

Stumbling out of the room, she scrambled toward the stairs. There was a white tower, where she could hide in solitude for a long time before anyone would miss her. Least of all her husband.

Her husband.

The tears finally overcame her and great sobs wracked her body as she struggled up the spiraling stairs.

* * *

He nearly came undone at that look on her face, in her eyes. Gods, he hadn't known that it would hurt like this…

No. He couldn't reach for her; he must not reach for her. He must keep to himself and stay aloof and uncaring.

But his wife…

He swallowed the lump in his throat. Too late; he couldn't turn back now. The damage was done; the plan was in motion. But his wife…

Quickly, he, too, dressed in her wake and made toward his cell. He had to concentrate more and—oh Gods, he could feel what she was feeling, and—No, no. No. Shaking his head firmly, he blocked his mind from hers and withdrew himself. However, the insistent tugs on his soul could not be ignored, no matter how hard he tried…

* * *

_Serenity?_

The tentative reach of Mina. She quickly composed herself and answered, _Yes?_

For a moment her friend did not reply, as though sensing the deep-bone fatigue in her. But the urgency of whatever message she carried prodded her on and, without further ado, rapidly transmitted to Serenity an update on late events.

Serenity reviewed it in silence for a moment or two and thanked Mina before dropping the link. She was not yet ready to face the world…especially since—

Her throat tightened with grief and stubbornly she squared her jaw and steeled herself. She should have expected as much from the King of Golden Kingdom—now under enemy control—and should have known that her lowly status as a planter's daughter did not and could never measure up to his standards. Whatever those were.

No. She would not allow herself to wallow in this grief. She had other things to worry about, other more important things…certainly much more important than her nonexistent heart—not anymore, anyway—and the shredded pieces of her soul. And her husband—Endymion—could certainly care less about her. From the way he acted around her now, they were complete strangers.

Well, that was just fine with her. She had other things to worry about, anyway. The Silver Crystal, for one.

She would concentrate on the Crystal's puzzle. Not him.

At least, that was what she promised herself.

* * *

"

That violent and brief tug on his soul could not be ignored. Gasping in the sudden pain, he was torn from the deep trance he was in. Groping around frantically for the source of this agony, he was shocked to feel her life leaving him—or her—and the love sprung madly from the corner where he'd hidden and buried it and then, before he realized it, he was sprinting along the long corridors toward her, led by his love and heart and soul.

The winding stairs infinitely frustrated him and when he finally arrived at the top of the tower he was berserk with pain and fear. The door was locked—

Not caring for anything other than his sweet Bunny at the moment, he slammed hard into the door and took it by violence. The pain and fear were almost unbearable by this point—

She lay in a crumbled heap with the Silver Crystal still flashing faintly next to her. The fear became panic and he dropped next to her and gathered her closer, closing his eyes and breathing deeply of her scent. Oh Gods, she could not leave him. Not now. Not now. The Divines could not be this cruel; they could not take her away now, when he most needed her. No. No. Not now. Not ever! Not ever again—

_Sweetheart?_ He murmured and pressed his face against hers. The kiss was blind and anything but smooth but he begged her to stay, to stay, to conquer him as she'd done so many times, to—to love him, to do whatever she would ever want to do to him—_Oh Gods, Buns, don't leave me. Don't leave me. Not again. Come back. Please—_

And when the others came, she had come back to him; she had resisted temptation. He cradled her in his arms and murmured unintelligible things to her and refused to let her go even when Amy wanted him to, so that she could check up on the Queen. And when the fear and pain finally receded, he held her close like a lifeline, unconquerable by all others, including the Witch. Unconquerable by all others except her.

* * *

I actually have no excuse for this late update. But i would like to dedicate this chapter to a good friend of mine who was murdered last monday. RIP Michelle Lynne Miller 9/1/1995 - 4/8/2013

~Crystal Selena


	11. Tea

Disclaimer:

Sailor Moon and the characters do not belong to me and all other standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Love does not die easily.  
It is a living thing.  
It thrives in the face  
Of all life's hazards,  
Save one—neglect.  
— James Bryden —

* * *

She was alone in the dark, unable to breathe. Something was pressed tightly against her chest, but when she reached to push it back, she found nothing but empty air. Gasping and blinking rapidly, she fought the tears and the razor-sharp edge of it and forced herself to believe.

And quite suddenly, something remote touched her Soul. Startled, she paused all her struggles for a moment—would she go back to the other side, to the other darkness? It was cold and lonely on the other side, too. On the other side, there would be unbearable pain. Her lungs ached and she could not think clearly. The blackness before her swam in her eyes and she started pushing against it again. The thing was pressed too tightly against her. She was choking.

An interminable amount of time later, she felt that touch against her Soul again but did not pause in her diligent efforts to remove the pressure from her chest. She still could not breathe, but it was better now, though whether it was her lungs getting used to it or the effort of her pushing, she could not tell.

The other side was cold too. And unbearably lonely. At least here, she had the blessed blackness surrounding her. On the other side, there was nothing…only darkness that was neither companion nor enemy.

_Bunny…_

Startled for a second time, she temporarily ceased her movements and listened intently to the silence. No. It had to be her imagination. There was nothing but coldness and loneliness on the other side. And the thing was choking her. Renewing her efforts at trying to push the thing again, she missed another whispered murmur, another soft touch.

_Sweetheart…_

No. No. No tears. No tears. No. No tears.

Fighting harder, the razor-sharp edge of it pressing against her, she threw all herself into trying to push it away. The other side was dark and lonely. The other side held unbearable pain.

_Sweetheart…_

No. No more. No tears.

* * *

It was dark when she felt consciousness. A lone candle cast a dim glow around her chamber, and she could feel the material of a crisp, clean shirt bunched in her hands and under her nose. She inhaled the unmistakable scent and wavered.

Perhaps the other side was better.

To ascertain the fact, she forced her eyes to open. In her arms lay the man she loved with all her heart and Soul…and a wave of emotion rolled up in her.

_Endy…_

He looked tired and worn. He looked haggard. A stubble had started growing and on his forehead she could read the lines of worry and concern and Soul-deep love.

Hesitating, she brushed her fingers across his chin and felt a thrill as the stubble tickled her skin. The feel of his body curved protectively over hers was comforting and sweet and recalled memories of another place and time: that once, when he'd come back a day early from town and surprised her with a trinket; or the other time, while she was planting sweet pea in the mist of an early morning, he had come out from his accounting, took the tools away, and, ignoring her weak protests, swept her upstairs back to the bedroom…

He stirred and, panicking, she realized that it would end soon, this little paradise of hers. The reality was far harsher. No. No. This little paradise was all that she had left. All. Everything.

His eyes were deeply blue and entranced her. Enthralled, she felt that touch again and realized that it was her husband's. Soft and light, tender as a butterfly, she returned the caress, surprised and pleased. This little paradise of hers would last a little longer, and she would ask for no more.

_Hungry?_ came his murmured question.

_Yes,_ she answered breathlessly. _Yes, but it won't be a problem. I'm fine. Really._

When he began to untangle himself from the tangle of limbs and Souls, she panicked again. No. No. Her little paradise could not end so soon. Not yet. Not yet. She was not ready. Her hands tightened around his and she murmured for him to stay.

_Really, Endy. I'm fine._ She assured him with a small smile, though it faded when he did not answer. Instead, as he settled back against her, his body was tense, unlike the warm and comfortable cocoon just a moment ago.

Silence descended upon them, the kind of silence she had never known with him, the kind of silence she despised. Not sure what to say—what she _could_ say—Serena burrowed closer to him and took a deep breath of his musky scent again.

She could hear the clock ticking away and swallowed. Hungry and tired, she didn't want to chase him away with a declaration of love, as she was sure by now that he would not care for such a declaration. He did not relax as the minutes passed, and she felt even awkward in wishing to kiss him.

The silence lengthened. Her nerves, already frayed enough, finally succumbed to sleep.

* * *

"Endymion?"

"We have to wait," he said calmly, sweeping his eyes across the Conference Room.

His generals and the Sentinels looked at him with surprise. Ever since he came back, the King has been acting strangely. His military strategies, however unpredictable and deceptive before, became plainly bizarre. Even Andrew, who'd been his right-hand man since childhood, could not fathom his lord's moves.

"Wait, my lord?" Artemis ventured carefully.

"Yes." He pushed himself from the chair. "We need to wait and trick the enemy into believing that it'd be easy to capture us." The glances that they exchanged did not escape his notice, but he paid no heed. At this point, he could no longer explain his motives to his friends and comrades anymore. Every step he'd taken had made his mission impossibly more complicated and dangerous and—well, more delicate.

No one voiced the universal thought that they _would_ be very easily captured if they didn't put up a stand. But Endymion was known for his unrivaled skills, and if he said so, they would do so.

"Keep me updated," the King said, and passed out of the room.

Mina sighed and hunched over, rubbing her eyes and leaning against her husband. "I don't understand that man at all. One minute he's fighting to his death trying to stall the enemy, and the next, he's waiting for the enemy to come and get us all."

"I trust him," Andrew spoke softly. "I don't understand his moves, but I trust him, and I will trust him to pull us through."

There was murmured agreement around the chamber, followed by a tired silence. Then, Luna raised her voice and asked, "And the Queen? Is she all right? Has she been consulted?"

"Probably not," Raye sighed. "Endymion keeps to himself most of these days. He'd rather that she knows nothing of these so-called details and concentrate solely on the Crystal. He even cancelled some of her state functions…"

"Knowing Endymion, he's probably on his way back to her," Greg shrugged.

Luna said nothing and turned away. To Artemis, she looked completely unconvinced…but they were not free to tell. That had been the price.

The door opened again to admit Serenity, in her full regalia. Amy and Luna rushed forward, for she seemed to wobble and waver against the door. She gave them a tremulous smile, meant to reassure, although it worried everyone present even more.

"I am going to the docks and then the Square," she said, her voice soft with fatigue.

Shocked, Andrew burst out: "But Endymion has already cancelled those!"

She blinked and frowned. "What?"

"Endymion cancelled all your state appearances for the week," Andrew said. "You mean to say you don't know this?"

"No!" She pushed herself to her feet quickly. "He has no jurisdiction whatsoever to do that!"

"We—we assumed that he'd spoken to you and consulted with you."

"Well, he didn't," she drew herself up to her full height. "I'll speak to him. Do you know where he is at the moment?"

Another blast of shock. "You—don't know?" Mina murmured.

Serenity frowned even harder. "No, I don't. He has been gone since early this morning."

"We—assumed that he's been with you the entire day, except when he came here for the schematics…"

The Queen blanched visibly, turning a sickly shade of white, and wobbled again. Amy and Luna came to the rescue, supporting her slight weight, as she gasped for breath. The roomful exchanged a quick glance and agreed silently that the Queen should be put back to bed immediately. Any repercussions of the cancellation of her state appearances could be dealt with later.

"Come, my lady," Luna said softly, "come."

* * *

The dreaded thought circled silently in the great Conference Room and bounced back and forth between the marble floor and table and ceiling and walls. Finally, Chad looked up and rubbed his forehead.

"They can't be—having problems." He paused and added uncertainly: "Can they?"

Luna and Artemis said nothing.

"But from the looks of it…" Andrew trailed off and sighed. "Not them! If they fail, we have no future to save."

"Well, Endymion is probably only trying to protect her," Raye concluded reasonably. "And Serenity's been asleep for most of this time. The Crystal has strained her greatly. Besides, she's stubborn as a mule, just like him, and she doesn't like him meddling in her affairs—mostly because she's possessed of this fear that he would be hurt in some way."

The roomful agreed. It was a logical enough explanation to their odd behaviors.

* * *

The silence in her chambers was deafening. He was not coming back soon. Obviously. In fact, he was not coming back at all. There would be no more nights of warmth in his arms, no more nights of passion and love and comfort and all things that had come from him before.

Suddenly she had the ridiculous urge to get out of bed, leave this godforsaken room, and find somewhere else to lay down her head. She was so tired. Simply so tired…

He had no right—nor authority—to meddle with her affairs. She had not wanted to worry her people even more, and now that he'd cancelled all her appearances—

Turning on her side with irritation, she looked across the room at the fireplace. Luna had put out the fire and the embers were slowly turning to gray ashes. The sight did not cheer her at all. Sighing, she let her eyes wander and came upon the large portrait she had insisted to hang above the mantelpiece—

She swore that she would have the monstrous thing removed as soon as possible. In fact, she would wake up tomorrow, refresh herself a little, don her gown, and have a servant take the portrait away and throw it out.

Annoyed at herself now, she turned on her side once again and closed her eyes stubbornly. She needed to have some rest if she were to spend another day with the Crystal.

His scent invaded her senses. She swore. Of course he'd been there earlier in the day—last night—but his musky sense had lingered on the pillow and between the sheets and on her mind.

No. She had promised herself no more tears when she came back.

But as she could no longer control her traitorous body, and great sobs racked her as her emotional turmoil finally won over her tenacious will.

Now that he no longer cared…oh Gods, had he ever? Perhaps she should never have succumbed to his magic in the first place—if she hadn't, there would have been no war to fight, and her parents and Sam would still have been alive and quite well, and—

Damn it all! Why did she have to fall for him? Why? What had she done wrong? Where exactly along the line had he stopped to care? She still remembered that last night on Earth…had it started then? Had it started before that night? No; it must have been the Witch. The Witch! She made him bend, like no one else could. She had destroyed him and bent him to her will— Damn that Witch!

She'd hoped so desperately to save him and herself—oh if only she had been more careful and more persistent, perhaps it would've turned out differently. If she'd tried harder—

"I love you, Endy," she tested the words on her tongue. Somehow the words fell flat…the recipient was not here; the recipient had left her to her pain and grief and agony—

And suddenly, she grew conscious of a soft warmth.

Endymion?

No. Impossible. He no longer cared for her.

Confused, Serenity sat up and cast about for the candles and the lighter. When she could not find them, she snapped her fingers in the direction of the fireplace and looked about her room as the fire roared to life and danced.

Of course Endymion wasn't here.

The exhaustion of the day caught up with her again. She was tired. She wanted to sleep forever—if sleep would come, for she was certain that it would not. She was familiar with the restless nights filled with doubts and hurt and anger and the sense that she had not been able to make him love her. On those nights, sleep refused to come, refused to—

Is that…?

Looking at herself in the mirror made her cringe. Her face was extraordinarily pale, even in the dancing light of the fire, and had grown very gaunt in the past weeks. Lifting her hands to inspection, she realized that she could now see her veins protruding through the skin. And her eyes! So dark and bottomless and wet—and her—

The warmth nagged on her consciousness and spread. It was both comforting and disconcerting. Where…? Oh, from herself. From her belly.

Frowning, curious now more than disconcerted, she touched her stomach gingerly and remembered all the times when he'd caressed her there with tenderness and love—

No. No more tears.

And the realization struck her as lightning strikes a forlorn tree—

Gasping, she blindly reached for the chair as she tried not to crumble. Why now? Why now, when everything had gone so wrong, when she had blundered so badly and there was no hope of ever salvaging the love she'd given her Soul to—

"No!" she gave a startled gasp. "No." Looking into the mirror again, she noticed that some color was coming back to her cheeks.

No. One Endymion will not destroy her.

She will be brave. If only for her children.

No more tears.

* * *

"It's not perfect, but it'll work," Amy said and sat back, sighing in relief.

"Wonderful," Endymion said, as he skimmed through the programs. As she said, it was not perfect; but it'd do, and that was all he could ask for at the moment. "Thank you, Amy."

"Any time. I'll give you the improvements as they come."

"Take tonight to rest, Amy; I'm sure you haven't slept in a long time." The King made for the door.

"Yes," Amy nodded, rubbing her temples. "I feel strangely old. Endymion, do you know where Greg is?" she asked just as he was passing out of the door.

He paused and turned. "In the control room as always, I believe." A tight smile came to his face as he looked upon the blue-haired Sentinel. "I hope you'll remind him that he needs to keep his sword sharp."

Amy stilled and looked closely at the King. "And to the others?" she asked.

The King briefly smiled. "No. We have not yet arrived at that stage yet."

And saying so, the King left a shocked Sentinel behind.

* * *

"Luna?"

"Yes, my lady?"

The woman was caught off-guard when the Queen raised her tear-stained face. Astonished, Luna reached across the small table, firmly grasping the Queen's hand. "My lady, what's wrong?"

She had thought that the Queen was meditating—for only meditation now seemed to help and calm her. That, or she was trying to work with the Crystal. Either way, Luna had been content to make the Darjeeling tea, sitting across the table from the Queen. She hadn't thought it possible that Serena was weeping—and for what, she could more than speculate.

"I think—I'm afraid I don't feel up to it," the Queen said, slowly.

"Up to what, my lady?"

Serena's eyes were blue, dark with conflicts and wet with tears. "This war. I—" turning her face away, she swallowed and hesitated on naming her anguish and her emotions. After all, it was not everyday that she aired her dirty laundry—so to speak—although she'd never had any dirty laundry to air.

However, it was not everyday that she was questioning herself and her husband's love.

As that thought crossed her mind, she resolved to confide in Luna, who was the most likely of all to understand her.

"Luna, you will not think me imprudent if I were to—"

"Of course not," Luna said shortly, squeezing Serena's hand with a patient smile. "Nothing you say or do, my lady, is imprudent in my eyes."

"Thank you, Luna," she murmured with a renewed sense of hope. Perhaps…she could salvage this yet. "I—that is, my husband and I have been—have been…" here she faltered and she frowned as she tried to find the right word. "We have been… It has been difficult between us," she said at last, pleased for once that she had not completely lost her sense.

"How so?"

Surprised that Luna was not surprised, Serena shot her a startled glance—ah, but of course. Out of all the others here, Luna was the most likely to know if anything were amiss, for she, more than anyone else, had witnessed and known the love that she had shared with her husband.

"It's not a surprise to you then?" she questioned softly, with a sardonic twist of her lips as she answered her own question: "Of course not. It has been more than difficult between the two of us, Luna. He has… That is, I think he has reconsidered his—his affection for me—"

"One does not simply 'reconsider' one's love for one's spouse," Luna cut in, a tad sharper than she'd intended, and she softened her voice and gave the Queen a smile. "Especially my lord Endymion. I know him, my lady—but you of course know him and understand him much more than I do. Why would he reconsider his love for you, my lady?"

"I—" her voice failed her and she tried once again to voice her anguish. "I have been very…troublesome, I think. And I have been acting strangely, and I think it's brought on by the child that I carry."

Luna's eyes widened perceptibly. "A child, did you say?" she felt faint all of a sudden and gripped the Queen's hand again.

"I think that I carry twins," Serena explained, feeling strained. "A boy and a little girl." A smile graced her face. "I remember the moment that I realized that their lives lived in me, just this past week—it was a glorious moment," her face brightened as she remembered, too, that last night on Earth, when they'd made these two children—when she'd taken and given endless pleasure—

"And my lord, does he know?"

Her face fell. Her husband—it was unlikely that he would want to know now of such things. "I have not yet told anyone," she said, her voice tremulous. "I don't believe Endymion will care for such things."

"Not care for such things?" suddenly Luna seized the Queen's arms with a passion. "He is your husband! It is his children that you carry—it is two lives that you have created together—of course he will care for such things! My lady, go to him at once to tell him—he will be overjoyed! Leto—why, my lord has been in such dreadful spirits since little Leto—" and perhaps it was the way to pull Endymion back; it was not too late yet. Anything was worth a try at this point.

"Do you really think so?" Serena asked, excited, as she looked in Luna's face.

"I don't see why he will not be overjoyed," she said, sitting back in her cushion with a smile. "Any man would be, seeing as his wife is carrying his children again."

And, remembering his reaction when she'd told him she carried Leto, remembering that fierce joy and fierce vow of love and protection in the small tent in that war camp— "He will be overjoyed," she murmured, her voice gaining strength. "I will seek him out at once—I cannot keep this any longer from him—"

"As soon as you drink your tea, my lady," Luna said with a laugh. "I think he can wait a few minutes, don't you, my lady?"

* * *

It did not escape Luna's attention that the Queen did not seem to think of their mind-speaking abilities, nor did it escape her perceptive eyes that the Queen had lingered long after the tea—and into the dark hours of the night. By then, it was too late to seek him out, and before Luna left, she once again urged the Queen to inform him as soon as possible.

The Queen had, upon the threshold of slumber, murmured a promise and drifted off. Luna then cleared the cups and the tarts from the small table, deciding that she would not worry Artemis further with news of impending disaster.

The Queen had a liking for Darjeeling, but it was a flavored tea of light strength, so Luna decided that she would bring a blend of second flush Assam mixed with a little nutmeg, some herbs, and a dash of vanilla—the Queen also had an immense love of vanilla. The tea, Luna was sure, would provide enough strength and warm enough blood that the Queen seek out her husband.

And after that?

She could only hope that their love holds.

* * *

The restless dreams returned with a vengeance as she glimpsed the abyss, the chasm that she was not sure how to cross.

The soft melody haunted her mind. She had given him the locket so long ago; whatever became of it?

In her dreams, she saw clearly the man she had fallen for—the man she loved still. That lock of hair that always refused to stay—that endearing smile, those deep blue eyes that could enthrall her for hours on end—those lips, soft and tender, as they trailed over her skin and lit her on fire—his arms, the place she'd always considered her shelter and her home—

Oh, she could never give him up; she could never let him go.

* * *

It was silent and dark here. The workers had all gone home to their loved ones—to say goodbye, to spend the last moments with them—to do whatever they needed to do to keep going.

And he was alone here, sipping on the first container of the first liquid he'd come upon in the kitchen. The cook was quite surprised to see him there, but as she'd been nodding off to sleep anyway, he did not pause to compliment her on the soup at supper.

Tea. Darjeeling with a hint of vanilla and a whiff of rose.

His wife.

Annoyed with himself, he pushed the teapot away. Everything would remind him of her. Absolutely everything! The tea, the rustle of a skirt, the taste of that soup, and, Heaven forbid, that ship in the corner—

Disgusted, he pushed himself to his feet and began to walk down the dock, reaching into himself and feeling the energy that pulsed there.

As Amy had said, it wasn't perfect; but it would do. It would be sufficient.

Or so he hoped.

Shivering now, he looked into the sky and the blue sphere hanging there and firmed his resolve. He swore that one day, he would chase after his children in the garden his wife would cultivate and nurture on that blue planet.

Gods, even that blue sphere reminded him of her. Her beautiful blue eyes, in fact.

Swearing softly underneath his breath, he picked up the teapot and quickly made toward the palace once again.


	12. Love Is Not Enough

Disclaimer:  
Sailor Moon and the characters do not belong to me… All standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Love cannot endure indifference. It needs to be wanted. Like a lamp, it needs to be fed out of the oil of another's heart, or its flame burns low.  
—Henry Ward Beecher—

* * *

Hesitating, she stopped next to a large window and looked down the wide corridor that was bathed in sunlight.

No, she hadn't yet found him…where could he be at this hour?

"My lady!"

Turning, she saw Luna hurrying toward her and stepped forward, the words rushing past: "Luna, I've tried and I've been walking around all morning but he's nowhere to be found—"

Luna looked grim. "Well, never mind that now. We have to be in the Conference Room in five minutes. Come," she reached out and gently squeezed the Queen's hand before they both set out for the Conference Room.

"Conference Room? Is this an emergency meeting?" the Queen asked, as she hurried down the corridors.

"Yes; the others believed you were still asleep, and I did not correct them. In fact, my lord Endymion called this meeting—"

"Endy?" she stopped dead, her face pale, as she wavered and then held onto Luna for strength. "Why?"

"We don't know yet. I think that he believes you're yet asleep and therefore does not expect you to be there."

"But it's noon!" Serenity said, annoyed. "I do not sleep all day long; when I'm in bed during the day, I'm usually unconscious or recovering from something."

"Yes, I know, my lady."

"Are you suggesting that my husband is trying to rid of me in the Conference Room?"

Luna gasped. "No! Of course not, my lady! I simply think that he doesn't want to trouble you with—"

"I wouldn't be surprised if he were," Serenity said softly, as though she hadn't heard Luna at all. The servant was stunned into silence and all her instincts pointed in the other direction, and it took all her strength to not spill the misty future she'd seen.

She couldn't tell; that had been the price.

* * *

When they finally arrived in the Conference Room, the others were already there, awaiting Endymion. At the sound of the door opening, they gaped at her, surprised that she should be awake and here.

"Good afternoon," she warmly greeted them and approached her usual seat, reaching out to touch the display and skimming through the reports and readings.

"Serena?"

"Yes, Amy?" she looked up and took the disk that her friend was offering. "What's this?"

"The invisibility mode," the blue-haired Sentinel said with a little proud smile. "Greg and I just finished this last night."

"Thank you," Serenity answered gratefully. "Now we can travel to Earth and back without the danger of detection."

"Hopefully. The ships will still be snagged in traps; the invisibility mode can't help that," Amy rubbed her neck and gave a sigh. "I'll work on it more after this meeting and see if I can do anything else."

The Queen murmured her gratitude and was about to ask the Sentinel another question when they heard the door opening again—this time, to admit the mighty King.

Turning around, she watched as he approached her, panicking inside as she realized she had no idea what to do. She hadn't seen him since that morning days ago, and she was quite sure he cared naught about her—indeed, he refused even to look at her.

Unconsciously, she grasped fistfuls of her voluminous skirt and took a sharp breath when she realized that he was not going to look at her at all—much less a warm greeting, a kiss, a soft touch upon her face—and rapidly blinked back tears as he walked past her to the pile of paper on a table near the windows.

She should have known.

Her head began to ache and she felt light and cold all of a sudden. Looking up—looking for some sort of aid—any sort of help—she was grateful when Luna calmly stepped up and handed a cup of tea to her.

"Thank you," she murmured, and sipped from the cup, sighing softly as the hot liquid warmed her. No, she was not about to dwell on what had just happened—in front of all the others, in front of her closest friends and advisors—she was going to move forward and listen to whatever he had to say, and she was going to provide her opinion on the topic and then she would ask to speak with him as the group started to dissipate, and when they were all alone, she would tell him she carried his children, and his hard façade would melt away, and he'd take her into his arms and tell her again that he loved her.

Her heart warming at the thought, she threw her energy into the meeting.

* * *

"Amy and Greg have just finished developing that invisibility mode," Endymion was saying, as he swept his eyes across the room, missing nothing in his surveillance. "The enemy is recovering and strengthening in numbers; we can't wait any longer. We must strike now—"

"How?" Chad cut in, leaning forward in his chair.

"We will move in, right under their radar," Endymion said, calling up maps and charts. "There is a loop-hole in the enemy's defense design that I've noticed while in enemy territory, and with the help of that invisibility mode, we'll be able to penetrate and push the enemy back, little by little, until it's cornered."

Hope flared and warmed the entire Conference Room. For the first time in days—weeks—months—smiles appeared.

"We'll be able to organize within seventy-two hours; when do we leave?" Lita asked, tapping away on the holographic screen, already deep into the task of mobilizing the army.

"I'll leave tomorrow at dawn with a small force to do reconnaissance. If everything goes as planned, we'll send you a signal from Earth, and we'll rendezvous before pushing the enemy back." Endymion looked up, his eyes a steely blue. "Questions?"

The others looked around the great Conference Room at each other with smiles and shook their—

"No."

All attention was focused back on the Queen, who was calmly pushing herself to her feet.

"I beg your pardon?" Endymion said, a frown marring the fiercely confident expression he'd worn but moments earlier.

"No. I said 'no,'" Serenity stood up and swept her eyes across the room, trying to stall for time and drawing strength from within herself. She must do this. Even though he no longer cared about her— Too late now; she was going to voice her thoughts whether he liked it or not.

"You will not go on the reconnaissance mission," she said, her voice gaining in volume as she continued. "You will stay here and you will send someone else to do the reconnaissance."

For a moment, Endymion looked vicious enough to kill someone. However, all he did was pushing himself to his feet, the chair scraping against the marble floor and producing cacophonies.

"I will not go?" he said in a deadly calm voice.

"No, you will not," Serenity strode toward him, her voice gaining strength and heat. "I will not have you go down to enemy territory and endanger yourself again. I will not have you leave here and diverting an elite force from our defenses. I will not—"

"And how will you stop me?"

Her steps did not falter and she steeled herself and looked at him square in the eyes. Oh, of course she knew he was angry. He was furious! He was beyond incensed! He despised anyone who would challenge his authority—not because it injured his pride and image, which it did, but rather that it cut down on efficiency, especially at this critical juncture. But she was not about to give up! She didn't care that this would take five more minutes of his precious time—he was not about to spend it with her anyway— She would keep fighting—he would not go down to Earth and leave her again; she refused to let it happen. And the Divines be damned if she had to pull out her Crystal on him—she would not allow him to leave even if it meant her life!

"I will take all means necessary."

Her voice matched his as their eyes clashed. Now within five feet of him, she could feel his fury boiling beneath the surface—and damn him if he pulled out ranks on her now— No one had ever decreed or remotely hierarchized this— He was the King of the Golden Kingdom—and the Earth—and she was the Queen of the Moon Kingdom— There was no way he could pull ranks on her now; they were equals!

His lip curled in a vicious, malicious smirk. "My lady, try all that you might, you will not be able to stop me."

She swore silently and clenched her fists at her side. Damn him!

"I can and I will," she snapped, stopping in front of him now, hating how much taller he was and how much stronger, and damning him for forcing her to tip her head back to look at him! Why did he have to be imperious and peremptory and oh so handsome! Oh, it was stupid—stupid!

"Will you whip out the Silver Crystal on me, my lady? The Crystal that you have yet to master— The very Crystal, my dear, which you so willingly resigned—"

A collective gasp echoed around the great chamber as her hand connected with his face.

Shaken with wrath, she glared at him, taking sick pleasure in the fact that a bruise was already forming on his cheek—which she could see because the slap had been so forceful it turned his head—and the trail of blood down his lip—

"You're right. You're absolutely right," she said quietly. "I willingly resigned my Crystal. For you. Now I take my Crystal back. I formally withdraw the Silver Crystal from you." Stepping back, she forced herself to hold together another moment— "I formally withdraw my claim on you."

She could feel the stunned silence around the great chamber—it was tangible; oh, it wrenched her apart. Damn that Endymion! He had her everything and he threw all that away.

At the door she paused and without looking back said, "Go wherever you wish. You no longer concern me—" and ignoring her heart screaming no, ignoring all her instincts to run back into his arms—

"Goodbye, Endymion."

* * *

"Any other questions?" the King continued, as though his wife was never there, as though his wife had never lashed out at him.

By this time the smiles had all disappeared. Endymion looked around the chamber once more and, seeing no other questions, said, "I depart at 0600 tomorrow. Andrew, I leave to you to draw up the list of soldiers for the reconnaissance. I want it by 1600. The final list will be in your files by 1800. Good-day."

Endymion strode toward the door and left.

* * *

As soon as the door closed behind Endymion, Artemis cursed and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead, looking tired.

"I have to go to the Queen," Luna said, as she moved toward the door. "Please let me know if anything comes up," she said, and hurried away.

The silence in the great chamber continued until it became a tangible pressure. As the moments trickled past, someone would try to speak—and fail. The silence continued, broken only by the distant chimes of a church bell or grandfather clock somewhere. Finally, Mina stirred and unsteadily stood up, grateful for Andrew's support.

"I— That is, we must start on that mobilization now," she said, her voice and countenance lacking her usual vigor.

"You don't think—they aren't having—Serena did not mean what she just said—" Chad looked uncertain and added softly, "did she?"

"I don't know," Mina said honestly, sitting down again and leaning against her husband. "I really don't know. She never speaks without carefully considering the consequences, especially after her ascendance to the throne. But they're Soul-mates; I don't see how she can 'withdraw' her claim on him, as she put it, even if she wanted it, and I'm sure she didn't—do you remember how inseparable they were when we were still on Earth, when they'd just arrived from the countryside?"

"They were so in love," Ken murmured.

"And they still are," Andrew pushed himself to his feet. "Otherwise, they wouldn't have argued; Serenity wouldn't have cared to try to detain him and Endymion wouldn't have cared to pick an argument with her— Of course they're having problems. They're under enormous pressure— Haven't we all had an outburst or two?"

And as he looked around the chamber, he saw that the others were nodding in agreement—in sympathy and understanding.

"Leave them alone for tonight…we all need some time to ourselves."

* * *

Agitated, Serenity had welcomed Luna's concern and had assured the servant that she was fine, and had expressed the wish to be alone with her thoughts, at which point Luna murmured an admonition for her health and left.

Hours had passed since then as she wandered aimlessly around the great palace. She'd entered the garden and, upon seeing the little gazebo near the pond, had immediately decided that it brought back too many painful memories. After leaving the garden—unwilling to go back to her bedchamber where his musky scent still lingered—she wandered from one wing to the next, up and down the floors, taking shortcuts and secret pathways.

Angry and hurt still, her feet carried her toward the white tower where she'd hid before. Deciding that it was a good place as any to rest her weary body, she headed for the endless spiraling stairs.

It was already dark; the sun had long set and she'd obviously missed supper. She wasn't hungry at all, but she should probably eat at least a little for the children she carried.

Laying her hand against her still-flat stomach, she let a bitter smile surface. Oh, of course, he'd care about the children she carried; he'd take her back into his arms and declare that he loved her. Of course. Just as he'd so easily brushed her aside.

No tears! Angrily forcing the tears back, she stumbled onto the stairs—and into a hard body.

Gasping in surprise, she looked up into the face she'd been trying to forget and proceeded to glare at him—because she could not do anything else without wrapping her arms around him and sliding her fingers through that hair—

Another one of those smirks curled his lip—oh Gods, it was so unlike him. She hated him—hated him! And she would not back down for the life of her; her pride required for her to stand there and make him move out of her way rather than vice versa—

"My dear, I do believe you're in my way. Please move aside—or are you going to pull out that Crystal of yours?" he drawled.

She raised her hand to slap him again—it was an instinctive reaction—it'd become an instinctive reaction—but this time he caught her hand and her body against him and trapped her against the wall and slanted his mouth across hers—

Oh Gods no!

His eyes were black-blue and his teeth were slightly bared and he looked angry enough to kill. "Don't you _ever_ do that again," he snarled, his voice low and his anger barely controlled.

Breathing heavily, feeling his body against her, something inside of her snapped—the consequences and her pride be hanged! This was as close as she could ever hope to get to him and she was not about to let this chance slip away as he had—

Standing on her tiptoes she freed her wrist from his iron grip and locked her arms about him and kissed him—a hard, bruising kiss, one she'd never given, for it was out of anger now and not out of love—not out of love, she repeated to herself, and then thinking became a much too complicated process as his hands slithered over her— Oh Gods she was lost already—

They dueled for control and dominance but it was a draw. Neither could win over the other—and the night melted away quietly, imperceptibly, while the fire and flames danced.

* * *

Consciousness came languorously. Serenity felt glorious and could not gather why she felt so—until the memories came back. Last night they'd—

She could feel his presence next to her and resisted the urge to turn around and snuggle back against him. He was awake; she could tell. He was awake and he was getting up—already? It was yet dark— Oh. The reconnaissance mission.

She could care less about him. He could go to Earth if he wanted—he could go to Andromeda or Pluto for that matter, and she was not about to stop him. If he wanted death so much, she wasn't about to stop him. Let him go; she'd take care of the children she carried.

Clothes rustled and she was suddenly seized with the urge to slide her fingers through his hair and down his body, much as she'd done the night before—just so she could memorize the details again—the way his breath and pulse quickened and the way his arms tightened around her—

Right. Just the details. She could care less about the man.

She could distinctly hear him snapping on his belt and boots and sword in the silent chamber. The fire had long since died and it was chilly in their bedchamber—in _her_ bedchamber, she hastily corrected herself.

Stubbornly refusing to yield to her instincts and heart, she kept her eyes closed and her back turned to him, knowing that he was not about to kiss her gently awake and murmur his goodbye and his love to her— Oh, of course not! He used to kiss her awake and allow her to help him dress—if he hadn't done so, he wouldn't do so.

But she hoped anyway and her skin pricked as the sound of clothes rustling and belt snapping stopped. Would he…?

The boot clicks moved away from the bed toward the door and she scolded herself silently for having ever indulged in such fantasies. Of course not.

As soon as the door was closed, she flung herself across the great bed and this time she did not stay the tears that flowed down her cheeks like they'd never stop.

* * *

Standing on the wide balcony, she listened to the sounds the breeze carried to her straining ears: ships taking off, distant shouts and clamor as the army was brought together—

"My lady? You're awake?"

"Yes, Luna!" coming through the curtains she saw the servant looking at the rumpled sheets and suppressed a bitter smile. "Ah, tea. Just what I need. Thank you."

She did not explain; she had not meant to, and she was not about to. It was simply too complicated and she didn't want to dwell on what had occurred, much less explain to someone else.

Holding the strainer, she waited as Luna poured the tea and added cream and sugar, stirring the liquid and then lifting the cup to her lips. This was Assam, of that much she was sure— "Luna, it's a very good tea that you've made this morning. What new spice did you add?"

Suddenly Luna looked tongue-tied. She gave a smile and tied her hair up before replying: "My lord Endymion made the tea this morning before he left."

The cup crashed against the table.

* * *

The Queen entered the control room after a taxing morning and swore that she would have Endymion out of her life as soon as she could manage it. Damn him for having the ability to ruin her night, her morning, her morning teatime, her breakfast, her dinner, her afternoon, her supper, her before-bed teatime, and her night!

Ignoring the glances, she touched the display and quickly looked through the reports. So far, so good.

Once they've crossed the barrier, all communications would be cut off—they couldn't afford detection now—until the signal for the full mobilization of the army. As Endymion did not set a time frame on this reconnaissance mission, there was no telling how long it'd take—a few hours, a day, a week—and the best they could do was to wait and carry on as though nothing was out of the ordinary.

_Amy?_

_Yes?_

_Where are you?_

_Down at the docks with Greg. What is it? Has there been a signal?_

___No, no. Of course not. Not this soon, anyway. I've read through the program and there's a technical glitch—_Serenity heard Amy swear and rushed to reassure the Sentinel— ___Only that it interferes with the navigation system, but don't worry about that; Endymion will guide the ship through—_

_Oh Gods, I hope they realize it soon. They're already out of range, aren't they?_

_Yes._

_Hope for the best, I suppose. Endymion's skill is unrivaled. Besides, Raye's already at the temple and praying for their safety; did you know, she did not sleep at all last night just so she could have the Fire bless all the talisman? I think the men were very surprised when she distributed one to each and every one of them._

A smile graced Serenity's face. ___Raye's talisman is powerful magic; in that case, we shan't worry._

Amy's laughter drifted over to the Queen and then the Sentinel dropped the link. Returning to her display, Serenity offered a pray to the Divines for the safety of all the men aboard that ship—including, and especially, her husband.

* * *

"Serena, go get some rest," Mina advised again, as she saw the lines of fatigue on the Queen's face.

"No, no. I can't. It's been seventy-five hours and no word," listlessly, Serenity lifted a cup of a strong brew of tea to her lips and sipped, closing her eyes momentarily as she recalled the brew she'd had the morning he left—the tea he'd made for her. It had been perfect—every dash of spice, every whiff of rose and vanilla and every hint of cinnamon.

"Oh Gods—" came the gasp from Amy and the Queen abandoned her tea and her thoughts as she looked up at the screen.

"They're back!" Raye said and without another word rushed toward the docks. The others followed closely on her heels—what had gone wrong? What happened to the signal—

When Serenity appeared on the docks, she was shocked to see the men already disassembled—Where was Andrew and other generals, which Endymion had vehemently opposed to be put on the list and on which point all the generals had defied his explicit order and followed him aboard—

"We need a stretcher!" Amy's voice rolled across Serenity and the Queen rushed toward the crowd of Sentinels— Stretcher? Was someone hurt? What happened? Where was her husband?

Amy was drawing out the Crystal and feeding the man energy—but as she hadn't had much sleep or rest for several months, her own energy reserve was low—

___Amy, allow me,_ Serenity said and held her hand above the man's head, reaching inside for the Power as she willed the man to stay with them—to survive—to tell her what had happened—where her husband was—

By the time Serenity finally let go, she was drained—but she'd brought the man back, and that was all she could ask for.

___Carry him away,_ Serenity told Amy, leaning on Mina's arm as she wobbled. ___Tell me as soon as he wakes up. I hope I don't have to do this again any time soon… Where are the others? The other soldiers?_

_No one came back with him,_ Lita reported, surprise and fear clearly evident in her voice.

Serenity stared at her Sentinel and wobbled again, feeling faint. ___—What?_

_Stay with me—Serena, stay with me!_ Amy's voice rolled across her again, and Serenity realized that she was fading into unconsciousness—she fought it—she needed to know what had happened to her husband and all those men out there—not again, not again!

___Luna—cognac, please. Or brandy. Anything. I can't—I need to stay my nerves._ The Queen sent the thought and the servant hurried off with her order.

"Move the man inside," she murmured to Raye, as Amy and Lita led her to a corner to sit down. "I only need a moment—don't worry about me. I'll be in the hospital wing shortly—"

"Are you sure?" both Sentinels asked and pressed.

"Yes," she gave a weak smile. "I'll be fine. You go on—"

"Call us if you need anything—you'll call us if you need anything?"

"Yes, of course. Thank you."

By the time the cognac came, Serenity had regained most of her strength and had watched as Amy directed the guards—and doctors—to take the man inside. She had told Mina to cap the latest development and contain it for as long as possible—or until further notice, and the Goddess of Venus had rushed off, much as the other Sentinels had.

"Thank you, Luna," the Queen said as she sipped and gagged on the cognac. "I'll never understand why Endy liked this— Come, Luna. We must hurry to the hospital wing."

* * *

The man was awake and frantically looking for the Queen when Serenity entered the room. Once he saw her, though, his hysteria melted away as he looked at her, a subtle trembling in his hands as he took her hand and pressed his lips to the knuckles.

"My lady," he murmured reverently, as the Queen bestowed a kind smile on him.

"Your name, good sir?" she asked, trying to locate him within the ranks.

"William Mackintosh, Chief Warrant Officer Five, 1/23 IN Rgt., 3d Brigade of 2d Infantry Division."

"As a combatant?"

"Yes, my lady."

___Army integration. What special skill does he possess?_ "Thank you, sir; can you tell me what happened?"

Fear and panic broke out over his face again and Serenity's heart lodged in her throat.

"My lady, I—I believe my lord the King Endymion has ordered the men to surrender without a fight to the enemy."


	13. Time To Say Goodbye

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and the characters do not belong to me and all other standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Love fails, only when we fail to love.

— J. Franklin—

* * *

Serenity's face paled considerably, but she did not reel back in shock. In fact, as she withdrew her hand from the man, a smile appeared on her face—though all the others could see that it was strained and pained.

"Good sir, do rest now," she murmured, the smile still evident on her face. "If you need anyone, please do not hesitate to ask."

She murmured another wish for his recovery and turned, nodding slightly at the others to indicate another meeting. First, though, she went to her chambers, shaking her head when Luna appeared to want to follow her.

As soon as she was alone in the great bedchamber, all the thoughts she'd repressed now clamored for attention with a vengeance— Was it true? Could he truly betray her? And why? How? When had this happened? Surely, if he had gone to the other side, she would've felt it; if he had gone to the other side, she would have felt it in her Soul—no, no, the Witch never had him under her complete control; he had always been Endymion, tortured and controlled, but he had refused to hand over his Soul to the Witch—he would never betray her; he was her husband.

But he now cared naught for her. Even if he had gone to the other side, she would not know such things now, after he'd blocked his mind and heart and Soul from her and, essentially, declared that he wanted nothing to do with her—

No, no, no; he was her husband; things were different between them now…she'd be a fool if she denied that fact. Things were different, things were changed, things were difficult and unbelievably surreal…but he was her husband; he was hers through and through, just as her Soul belonged to him and him only—

But of course he'd already retracted his words of love and that last night as she made desperate love to him—no, no, she had tried to fight him, to take him back, to push him away and hold him close; she had tried all that, all at once, and she remembered, even now, how she'd hated and loved every moment as his fingers whispered over her skin, as his heart raced to match hers—oh Gods, she had tried so very hard to push him away, yet she had failed so miserably—and he had been…oh Gods, he had been so perfect, even as he dueled her for control. He had reclaimed her stubborn will just as easily as he had cast her aside; in the long, dark hours of the night, she remembered that her body had never been so alive with such a ferocious need and love—never, never, and yet he had not managed to conquer her for long, for she had returned the favor just as headily, just as willingly, delighting at the sight of his muscles rippling, his breath catching, his whole body trembling—

No, no, no…Endymion must be hers, through and through, just as she was his, down to the last immortal fiber of her being.

* * *

"Prepare the ships and the soldiers; we leave at sunset," Serenity said, already deep into her task of dispatching orders to the army.

There was a momentary silence around the great Conference Room. They had all expected her to explain and defend Endymion's actions—if anyone had been privy to his plans, it would have been Serenity. And yet she simply just tapped away at the hologram in front of her, oblivious to the questions that hung in the air—no, not oblivious, for Serenity was keener than that; she was simply ignoring the questions.

They had fought bitterly the day before he left; if Endymion had left without telling her—but it was possible, was it not, that he had gone to the other side, that the enemy had torn him apart and assembled him back according to its wishes?

"At sunset," Serenity emphasized when the Sentinels did not appear anywhere near leaving. And she decided that the time for secrecy and concealment was way past—they had neither the luxury nor the wish now— "Do not doubt Endymion," she said fiercely, looking at each of her advisors in the eyes. "I am neither defending nor condemning his actions; I do not want to lie to you and say that what he has done is part of a strategy of which only I am privy to. I do not know. But do not doubt him; he is our only hope, because he is _my_ only hope. If indeed he has gone to the other side, we will have no future—" Serenity sighed wearily and rubbed her eyes. "I will have no more hope if he goes to the other side," she murmured to herself sadly.

If her husband had abandoned her for the Witch—if their Bond could be broken—she did not know why she was fighting this stupid war. Oh, yes, she would fight the Witch and banish her to save the untold billions and trillions of souls in this Universe. But after that, she'd find a quiet spot somewhere and lay down her weary head, and thus pass into oblivion, for if he would go to the Witch, life for her no longer meant anything, even with the children sleeping quietly inside her.

"At sunset," Mina confirmed, and was the first to leave the Conference Room.

* * *

"No, no," Artemis was saying vehemently, his eyes narrowed, his voice low.

"But—"

"Luna," he emphasized her name with a hard squeeze of her hand. "Endymion will never betray Serenity. Whatever he means to do—he will _never_ betray her."

"Artemis," Luna said, rubbing her eyes. "I'm tired of having this same vision over and over again. I know he won't betray her, but I also know he won't hesitate to do whatever necessary to achieve his goal—including hurting her, if it needs be."

"But that makes no sense whatsoever!" Artemis tried hard to keep his voice low; he had no wish to announce to the entire ship this conversation.

"Of course it makes no sense," Luna replied impatiently, brushing aside her husband's comment. "Whenever did Endymion make sense? He knows only that he must protect her life, and thus, he will do whatever necessary—he knows that he has to hurt her now, to save her greater pains later."

Artemis fell back with an ashen face. "Greater pain later?" he murmured incoherently. "What do you mean?"

"I have absolutely no idea," Luna rubbed her eyes again.

"Is this pain not enough? Will there be even greater pains later?" he seized his wife's arms, his eyes blaring, daring her to contradict him.

"Artemis," she said sharply, "you're hurting me."

Instantly he let go and fell back again. "I'm sorry, Sweetie. I just—"

She embraced him and sought comfort in the sturdy arms that supported her. "She's dying; can't you feel it, Artemis? She's barely hanging on…she has so little left now, and if he should leave her…"

"She must listen to her heart. Only her heart."

* * *

"Are you sure, Serenity?"

"Yes," the Queen said, her eyes fixed on the screen as they slowly descended. She could see him now, could see that he was alone, that he looked unremorseful, and that, in short, he was still the same Endymion who had captured her heart.

No. No. Only a trickery of the light, she told herself. Only the light. He was not the same Endymion that had kissed her goodnight and murmured his love to her. Never the same. And of course, things had changed between them…she could not yet fathom the game he was playing, because there had never been a game between them in the bygone days.

What was he thinking, she wondered, what was he thinking at the moment as he feels the ships descending? Was she making the right decision in trusting that he had not betrayed her and that she was not sending the entire Lunarian army with the Four Sentinels to doom?

But as he cared nothing for her now, was he planning on leaving her after the war—or even before the final battle? Did he know how much he'd hurt her, how unsalvageable their marriage had become?

Marriage.

She scoffed at herself. Whatever bond holding him to her now was no longer marriage. And certainly not love.

There was no going back now; the bygone days were truly gone. She could no longer look forward to a warm kiss in the mornings, nor a warm embrace as she drifts off to sleep. He was gone beyond her grasp; their marriage had fallen apart, so much so that she privately wondered if he hadn't betrayed her already to the Witch.

The jolt of the ship landing brought her out of her reverie. Looking at the screen once more, she finally noticed the Generals and the soldiers—what? He'd told them to surrender—what? What happened to the signal? Had the man—Mackintosh—had he been lying? But his records had went through cleanly, without any trouble—

This Endymion was confusing as Hell! Damn him to the deepest pit there.

* * *

Composing herself, refusing squarely to bend to the visible tension, the Queen descended the ship and made the first movement toward her husband. The gesture alone would suffice in bringing trust back to Endymion; if she trusted him, if she believed in him, then her people would, as well.

Endymion had other plans. He had plans to which only the Queen was privy, and since it was obviously highly sensitive and only the two of them knew, they would have faith in him, this stranger with a foreign blood, this man who had unlocked the forbidden Riddle, this formidable King who had somehow, somewhere along the line, stolen his way into their hearts.

Formidable. The only word to describe him.

"Did you plan this?" Serenity demanded as soon as she was close enough so that no one could overhear.

He did not answer her; in fact, his face did not change a bit. He was still wearing that indifferent expression the morning he'd left, and—

No! No! How did he do it, how did he make her remember such painful memories, such happy memories? No! She would defy him; she would be strong, she would make him bend, even if it meant that she might break herself in the process.

"Did you plan this?" she repeated her question, coming to a stop a yard away from him, hating the way his hair fell in his eyes, hating the way he could make her want to embrace and kiss him, even after all that had transpired between them—or, rather, lack thereof.

Endymion merely looked at her, the indifferent look still in place.

"My lord!"

His eyes shifted from hers and he strode quickly toward Artemis, who was hurrying toward him. He strode away from her and in effect dismissed her from his company, from his mind and his thoughts.

She should no longer be surprised by such cruelty from the man branded as her husband. Of course not. However, she was not used to the pain he inflicted every time—the sword he ground into her heart and twisted and the salt that he poured on the wound. She doubted that she ever would be…

Her eyes followed the hair, the line of his broad shoulders and strong form, watched as his face came alive as Artemis spoke to him—though only attentiveness and a slight hint of exasperation and worry broke the previous indifference. She watched as he left Artemis, exchanged a few more words with Andrew, who was firmly wrapped in Mina's arms, and untied his steed from a tree and mounted the beast—

Where could he possibly be going? They were here now, weren't they? They were here, they needed information, and he was leaving? Where? This was yet the enemy's land, for Divine's sake! He could not be thinking of doing more reconnaissance, could he? What more was to reconnaissance, and by himself—

Oh. Right.

Of course. He was riding hard and fast to the Witch.

Of course. To betray her. Just like the whispers up and down the ranks.

She would fare better, in the meanwhile. She would set up camp and have the cook bring her a bowl of hot soup. The babies in her are clamoring for food.

Squaring her shoulders, Serenity turned and marched determinedly toward the Generals and the Sentinels.

* * *

"Serenity—"

Looking up from the filtered maps and charts from reconnaissance, the Queen found herself alone with Mina and smiled slightly. A moment alone with anyone seemed rare now, as their time was all occupied with the War and upcoming battles.

"We need to move fast," Serenity said, returning to her charts as she dispatched another order. "I know. I'm doing my best, Mina; Conference is in an hour…by then, I'll have the plan ready."

"Serena," Mina murmured gently, stopping the Queen with the simple touch of her hand. "That's not what I wanted to talk about."

"Oh?" the Queen looked up with surprise.

"I came to talk about Endymion."

"Oh." She couldn't help the passage of pain that crossed her face and passed her hand over her face. "Well, I don't see how talking about him will solve anything."

"Serena, what's been happening between you two?" the Sentinel sat down in a chair next to the Queen and forced the woman to look at her.

Shrugging, Serena struggled to keep the pain inside. It would not do if her Sentinels started doubting him now, at this critical junction.

"Serena," Mina gently shook the other woman's shoulders. "Talk to me. Please. We can all see plain as day that something is happening between the two of you. I've noticed that he hasn't slept in your chambers ever since he came back…save the few exceptions in between then and now. You act strangely around each other; he is returning to his old ways, before he met you, and you are…well, I'm not exactly sure what you're doing. One moment you're cold and emotionless, and in another moment you're heatedly arguing with him, trying to incite some sort of reaction from him."

Serena sighed and rubbed her eyes. Of course…Mina had known her the longest out of all her Sentinels. Mina would be the one to notice anything amiss…

"Don't hide from it," the Sentinel continued softly. "If you've problems, you must work together to solve it. A house divided cannot stand."

"I know," Serena hunched over and stared dully at the maps. "I know all of that, Mina."

"Then have you tried to talk to each other?"

"Yes. Of course."

"And the results?"

"There are no results to talk of," the Queen shrugged again. "There was no foundation to begin with."

Confused, Mina fell silent, trying to form a coherent image of the dire situation. However, before she could order her thoughts and ask another question, Artemis came in, looking disconcerted.

"Artemis," the Queen acknowledged and stood up quickly, having pulled herself together in the moment she caught him at the entrance.

"My lord Endymion has called a meeting," he related the message and led the two women toward another tent.

* * *

The bed was hard and hastily made and, without his warm body next to hers, entirely unwelcoming. Her back ached from hours of analysis; her feet ached from pregnancy—though only at the most four months along—and her neck and shoulders were taut with tension.

The Conference had, of course, been a disaster. And that was still underestimating it. She didn't know the damage and at this point she could care less about damage control. Let them believe what they would; she was sick and tired of trying to salvage unsalvageable things and covering up what was happening.

Somehow, she had managed to quarrel yet again with Endymion. Publicly. And this time, they had both shouted things she would not care to repeat, even in her own mind, in the silence of her tent.

For the first hour, they had not spared so much as a glance at each other, and she'd foolishly believed that she could last through this Conference without an argument. However, as she presented her plan of attack, Endymion had sharply cut her off and informed everyone present—and there were others beside the Sentinels and the Generals—that he would lead the first charge against the enemy, just as she'd outlined, and that he'd advance their grounds until the next range.

Though she knew they did not have the time, since the enemy already knew that they were here, she had vehemently denied him the charge, citing any and all reasons that came to her mind, though she'd caught herself just before the word "treason" fell from her lips. Of course, Endymion had been no less scathing in his response. He had, in effect, undermined her authority and the shaky ground she'd worked to earn. She, without even thinking, while she was incensed beyond reason, lashed out at him, undermined his authority in return, as she questioned his peculiar conduct of late.

Damn that Endymion and hang damage control. She was tired and she didn't care that her army should fall apart now.

He'd stood his ground and had essentially slapped her in the face when he stormed out of the tent. The Queen left soon after that, resorting to her own tent, occupying herself with more maps and charts and strategies, still fuming and hurt.

Afterwards, Andrew had come to her, probably as a representative from all the others, but she had not allowed him a chance to ask. Instead, she interrogated him about his captivity, about Endymion's alleged order for surrender, upon which Andrew had become distracted and she'd sent him off immediately after that, claiming fatigue.

According to Andrew, Endymion had indeed ordered their unconditional and immediate surrender to the enemy as soon as they landed, without an explanation whatsoever, even to the Generals. While the small and tight-knit team was still shocked and bewildered, the enemy had come and swooped down, capturing every soldier in the team—except Mackintosh, it seemed, who also managed to fly back to the moon with one of the abandoned ships.

At that point, the General explained that he had no memory of his actual capture, but he remembered waking up to swords clanging and clashing, and the next thing he knew, Endymion had freed each and every team member, worried when he realized Mackintosh was yet missing.

But their situation had become dire, and they retreated to await the Queen's arrival, hoping that Mackintosh had escaped back—which they confirmed when they realized their ship was missing.

"Perhaps he knew that we were already discovered and concocted a plan to rescue us by surrendering first," Andrew had said with a frown. "After all, he's been to enemy territory before."

Sighing, she rubbed her eyes and turned over on the bed. She missed him terribly…missed the warmth next to her, the soft murmurs of love, the way his eyes shone when he smiled, the hair that never failed to fall across his forehead, the kisses he'd shower upon her…

Shivering, the Queen pulled the covers and blankets tighter around her, thinking of the days ahead, the dreadful days ahead, when she would have to defeat the Witch. After that, what would she do? Their marriage had become unsalvageable; it certainly wouldn't suddenly go back to the bygone days once the war was over.

He would leave in the early morning, with the light of dawn. He would leave her and perhaps never come back…after all, after having courted death so many times, it would catch up with him. Perhaps the day would come tomorrow. Or the next day. What would she do then, after he'd left her? There was nothing to save except the uncounted trillions of souls; their marriage and their answer to the Riddle had fallen apart long before.

Angrily, the Queen shook the tears away from her face, knowing that crying would not help at all. She must sleep and rest so that she would be ready for the challenges the day would bring. Aside from maps and charts and Conferences, she also had to keep tapping into the Crystal. At this point, she knew that she could not possibly fathom the missing piece, thus she must be in synch with the Crystal at all times…and hope that that would be enough.

But the bed was hard and the tent unforgiving. The shadows that danced before her were illusions of a past life, a happy life…one she'd tried so desperately to save and one she couldn't give up. Where was her husband now, as she lay alone in this great, empty, hard bed? What was he doing—what was he thinking at this very moment, as she lay alone here?

A movement and the crunch of grass and dirt near the entrance caught her attention. Surprised—though not alarmed, for she knew she was in the relative safety of camp—the Queen pushed herself to a sitting position, slipped a dressing gown about her, and stepped toward the entrance to discover the source of the noise.

But she froze before she could take even one step.

He stood at the entrance in all his glory, a blazing look in his eyes that made her feel suddenly revitalized.

Endymion.

She watched, fascinated, as he closed the flap behind him and proceeded toward her. Her heart jumped into her throat and she couldn't seem to breathe. She knew that the blazing look in his eyes did not bode well, yet she also realized that at least she could say goodbye to him before he left in the morning.

"Don't—" she started saying, but he cut her off effectively with a harsh, brutal kiss.

Serena melted into his arms, horrified when she heard herself moaning as his hands, much gentler than his mouth, slipped beneath the dressing gown and her robe. In one fluid motion, Endymion parted the robe from her, and it fell from her shoulders and made a puddle at her feet.

The cold night air made her shiver, and she tried desperately to recall her mind. What—why? She was sure he hated her by now, and of course she would not have anything to do with him, but what was he doing here? Tomorrow he would leave; tomorrow he would leave her forever. What was she to do? How would she survive?

And then thoughts became much too complicated when his lips trailed over the sensitive area at her neck and his arms enclosed her fully in his embrace. Gasping, she pulled his head back to hers, kissing him savagely, pouring her frustration and hurt into that kiss. She didn't know what she was doing, what he was doing, but at this point, she would take anything he offered. Anything. Even lust. Just to hang on to the memories, and pretend for an hour that things were as they should be, that they were passionately loving each other.

"Endy—"

He growled in warning and bit her shoulder when she tried to speak. She felt the mark and retaliated by raking her fingers down his back, a move that made his kisses more demanding and his hands more urgent. She felt his indrawn breath and smiled when the muscles beneath her questing fingers trembled. Ah. The formidable Endymion was not so formidable, after all.

Reckless now, not caring for any consequences, not caring that come tomorrow morn, she would be once again heartbroken, Serena peeled the layers of clothing from him, throwing the sword into a corner, drawing him closer, daring him to love her and take the consequences.

She felt herself lifted and clung to him as he placed her on the hard bed—which, at this point, served its purpose quite well. They parted for a breath then, and she gazed at his handsome face and dark, stormy eyes and felt the responding tide in her. Reaching for him, she drew him near and did not attempt to question him; though she could still feel the anger and emotions seething in him, she trusted that he would not hurt her—physically—and she trusted that after all that had happened between them, the fact that he came to her the night before he left meant something. Anything.

_Endy_, she sighed and dipped her head, smiling when he emitted a low groan. Ah. He was as she'd remembered; every spot, every move…she tested her memory and set him to groaning again.

He pulled at her and kissed her viciously, his hands roaming again. Sprawled on top of her husband, she slid back and forced him away when he gasped in surprise. Looking at his handsome face again, she saw the impatience and hunger that consumed him, and, cupping his face in her hands, pressed light, feathery kisses to his eyes, her heart aching and her body yearning.

_Bunny—_

She slid into place and felt that moment of sweet surrender, mingled with triumph, crashing over her. She had won…she had won the imperious Endymion. He could not control her; he could not control and betray his Soul.

And she watched, still riding on her triumph, as he finally closed his eyes and gave in—as his face contorted with agonizing ecstasy and his entire body strained against hers.

The indomitable Endymion was hers and hers only.


	14. Only the Heart Knows

Disclaimer:  
Sailor Moon and the characters do not belong to me and all other standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

Where there is great love there are always miracles.  
— Willa Cather —

* * *

Consciousness came slowly, languorously. Serenity was surprised to feel warm flesh beneath her, so used had she been to the abuses her husband freely gave.

He was yet asleep; his breathing was deep and even, and she heard the thrums of his heartbeat beneath her. A surge of love overwhelmed her, and she began to caress his skin, reaching up to touch his tousled hair, that handsome face, those broad shoulders, the slender hips—and beyond. Anywhere she could reach, she touched. Oh Gods, how could she forget him like this, when every particle of her yearned for his body and his Soul and his love? How could she live without him?

Fingers entwined with hers.

Startled, she looked up into his face and was disappointed to find there a cold, hard mask. Though his touch was gentle, she knew it was nothing but lust that burned within him… His face remained aloof, though she could see that desire was starting to wear away the hard edges of that perfectly chiseled visage. Liquid fire pooled in her as his mouth descended on hers, and she wept silently at the irony of it all: she'd thought it love, so long ago; and now, she was willing to take anything from him. Anything. So that he belonged to her, even for just a few hours in the quiet, cold, and lifeless night.

_Endy_—

_Shh…_ His lips traveled over her shoulder and she tried hard to focus.

_Endy, let me in. Let me talk to you. Just let me—_ And gasping in surprise, she felt his teeth on her skin again and shuddered. The indomitable Endymion was frustrating beyond all reason!

His arms tightened around her and she arched into his touch, gasping and blindly pulling him closer. _Endy,_ she sighed and returned his kiss. _Endy, I love you._

His body stilled and he redoubled his efforts of rendering her unable to speak or think. She tried to focus again but found it extraordinarily hard, as his expert hands traveled over her. For a moment, she considered pushing him away and forcing him to listen and to open up, but she felt his lips on hers and all reason and thoughts fled.

Moaning, she tried to return a measure of the pleasure he gave her, mindless of the questions that'd been shoved back, hurt and scars she refused to see even as he readied the sword to break her again.

Oh Gods.

_Endy—_

_Shh…_

* * *

Turning and rolling away, she reached for his warmth and sat up in alarm when her hands encountered nothing but cool air.

He was turned away from her, buckling his belt, his massive sword upon the mess of clothes they'd carelessly made last night.

Ah. He was going to leave her now, and he might never come back.

Her heart tightened in her chest and she struggled not to make a sound. His shoulders were broad, and she could barely make out the scar on his back—an injury he'd received when he was an untried soldier in the field, under the command of his uncle. She remembered running her fingers over it and his soft hiss of pleasure as her lips found his last night…

Oh Gods…if he never came back, what was she going to do? She was not sure how to kill herself, and anyway she did not think the Divines would allow her the wish. No. Of course not.

Silently, she padded toward him and took over the task of buttoning his shirt. She caught the expression of surprise and a wild surge of emotions overwhelmed her—how could she not try again and again and again until he could—and would—embrace her with an open heart? If he left her, she decided, she would scour the ends of the Earth and the Moon to find a way to join him. Her marriage, however empty it'd become, at least gave her that privilege.

A tear slipped down her cheek but she did not bother to wipe it away. Her fingers lingered on the buttons and his bare skin and she committed to memory the way he stood motionless for her, the way his breath stirred her hair and the way his musky scent made her want to make love to him again.

_Oh Gods, Endy, I still love you. I've always loved you._

The declaration had been torn from somewhere deep inside, where the little girl with Belle and Chandler still existed. _I won't give up on you and on us; I refuse to. Whatever it is that happened between us—I'm afraid I don't know this fault of mine that repels you, and you're going to have to explain it to me and I will do better in the future. And so, you're not allowed to leave me. I bind you to it. You can't leave me now, Endy. I love you. Do you hear me? I love you. And I won't stop. Not until all the Divines die._

And she leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss against his lips—an achingly tender kiss, one she'd always reserved for precious moments between them. He did not respond—she did not expect him to. Whatever it was—well, he was going to explain this fault to her, and she will make it up, and if he still weren't satisfied, she would do everything in her power to be perfect for him. He deserved the effort from her; he deserved the best of the best.

Tears blinded her eyes as she withdrew from the kiss—the kiss to which he did not respond—and she felt his hands draping a robe around her shoulders. She accepted the robe and pulled it tight around her, swallowing back her tears and watching as he retrieved his sword and strode toward the flap.

Endymion did not glance back at his wife.

And she watched with the last thread of her nonexistent hope, with all her heart and Soul, as he stepped away from her. Her Soul cried out for him and his love but…

What was there to say and do that they hadn't already said and done?

* * *

After he left, she'd stood for long moments, staring at the flap of the tent, berating herself and attempting to regain her composure.

She'd dressed, slowly, carefully, with measured movements, refusing to remember the night before and the way his hands felt as he parted that flimsy robe from her. She washed her face and tied her hair, and stood a moment next to the bed, taking deep breaths, before stepping outside to face the new challenges…and her husband's denial of what had transpired in the darkness of the night.

"Good morning," Mina greeted softly, approaching the Queen. "Breakfast?"

"That would be nice," Serena replied with a wry smile. She scanned the camp and spotted her husband grooming his steed. Not surprising, considering that he would lead the first offense today. His elite soldiers were clustered together, and though silent, the air about them was charged with tension.

Oh Gods. She should've blocked his proposition of leading the first offensive. She had the power; it would've turned ugly, but she had the power.

"Last night…" Mina began uncertainly, seeing the direction of the Queen's eyes.

"Did not happen," Serena finished bitterly, focusing back on her friend again. "At least in his eyes."

"Are you sure?" the Sentinel pursued the subject, "Are you sure, Serena? He loves you deeply, you know."

Scoffing, she shook her head with a twisted smile. "Love does not exist in his vocabulary, Mina. Our marriage was a sham from the start."

"Serena!" the Sentinel said, outraged. "I'm sure the two of you are under enormous strain, but surely, sham is too harsh a word and it certainly does not describe your relationship!"

Shaking her head again, the Queen marched toward breakfast, already calling Lita for the attack plans. She did not look in his direction, even when her heart had clamored to see him. He'd rejected her and cast her aside after a night of torrid passion. Their so-called marriage started and ended there.

It began to rain, not heavily, but the kind of light drizzle that dampened without drenching. Serenity stepped out from the tent after breakfast and, for a moment, simply took in the commotion of camp. In the moments before the offense, soldiers were conducting last-minute inspections—something to take their minds off the impending battle. She scanned the compound for her husband and spotted him near the entrance, speaking with Andrew.

The Sentinels and Generals began to line up by the entrance, as customs dictated. The soldiers, with their heavy load, stood at attention, and Serenity watched as her husband nodded once to Andrew and swung onto his mighty steed. Andrew stepped into line, next to Mina, and as their fingers entwined, the Queen found herself unusually jealous over such a simple gesture of love. Once, long ago, she had done such simple things with her husband. Long ago.

Endymion wore a heavy cloak, with the hood pulled back, and rain dampened his hair. She could see the shape of his sword by his hip, and tears blurred her vision.

Silence fell upon the compound, and she knew that she should be at the entrance, with the rest of them, but she couldn't bring herself to send him to his probable death. Mina caught her eye, and the Sentinel nodded subtly; they understood that, breaking tradition as it was, she was going to stand behind them, and that she was going to watch and for once not lead.

Her husband had no doubt realized that—or that she simply couldn't bear to speak to him—and he tested the reins as the beast beneath him shifted restlessly. Another moment passed as they silently sent their prayers to the Heavens, and the troops readied for departure.

Serenity watched as her husband spurred his steed into movement, fighting to keep the tears inside. He was going to leave her now, and she couldn't even be sure of his lust anymore. Oh, how could she have let this happen? She should have done more and tried harder. He was beyond her reach now, but—

She gasped in shock—Endymion had turned his steed around and was galloping _away_ from the entrance—toward her! Her heart soared as she caught his eyes and she felt herself flying as he reached for her. He scooped her into his embrace with one arm and lowered his face to hers. Her heart pounding madly, she slipped her arms around him and kissed him back ardently, sobs welling up in her.

After an Eternity, they separated for breath, and Serenity hid her face on his shoulder. _I don't understand…_ she murmured, not daring to look into his face. She felt him stroke her hair and back and press another kiss to her bare shoulder. In a moment, however, his arms were gone, and, alarmed, she looked up at him.

Her husband, her handsome and indomitable husband, untied his cloak and drew it around her shoulders instead.

_Endy?_ she asked, uncertainly, wrapping her fingers around his trembling ones as they attempted to tie the cloak.

_You'll catch a cold,_ he replied, as his fingers finished tying the cloak and began to caress her face. Serenity looked into his eyes, confused, bewildered, even, at this sudden change in him.

_Endy?_ she asked again, a little more confident now, as he traced her jaw with trembling fingers. His eyes were dark and wet, and she found herself captivated by the hidden depths.

_You'll catch a cold,_ he repeated, his face all sharp angles, and leaned forward, enveloping her in his arms. Suddenly, she wanted to be back in their little house in the country, without a worry.

_Endy,_ she insisted, pressing her lips to his now-wet lapel.

_Promise me something, Sweetheart._

Her heart soared with that term of endearment and she felt she could take on anything at the moment, even the enemy.

_Anything_, she breathed, enchanted by the glittering depth of his eyes. _Anything for you, Endy._

_Promise me you'll always be here. Promise me that I'll never have to do this again._

_Do what again?_ Once again, she was confused, and grew alarmed when he began to lift her away, when he began to set her gently on the ground. _Endy?_ she asked urgently, her fingers curling around his, afraid that as soon as he rode out of camp, she would never see him again, would never experience the magic of his kiss and embrace again.

_Just promise me,_ he murmured, brushing a soft kiss to her hand. _Promise me you'll always be here._

_Of course, Sweetheart. Of course!_ Her breath caught at the sorrow and tenderness in his eyes, and, for a moment, she let herself believe that he was hers once again. _But do what—_

Before she could finish the question, he had kicked his steed into a mad dash. Issuing a long, deafening war cry, the troops followed the legendary Endymion into battle.

Endymion. Her husband. Hers and hers only.

* * *

She had watched him ride off into his death. His strange actions before his departure unsettled her; if he'd meant to soothe her, to reassure her, he had utterly failed. Although, up until breakfast, Serenity could swore that he cared nothing for her, and that his actions afterwards were all but a show for the soldiers swarming around them.

Watching as more troops readied for departure, she swallowed back the lump in her throat. No, his eyes had been to telling; he could not have been putting on a show. He…he was still Endymion; he could never deny that he had at least once loved her, had given up the crown and all his powers for her. For her. He could never deny that, some distant time in the past, he had seen her as his everything: his breath, his life, his heart and soul.

Now? Now was a different story. The others had smiled at her after Endymion left, especially Mina, with that triumphant glint in her eyes, but Serenity turned away from them all, confused and utterly perturbed. Endymion was a man of walking contradictions; how had he argued with her so heatedly the day before, stole her breath away during the darkness of the night, and then managed to deny and reject her and then sweep her off her feet this morning, all within twenty-four hours?

"Serenity."

Reluctantly returning to the urgent present, she turned to see Mina standing next to her. A little wry smile found its way to her face: she could see the same questions everywhere. Mina was of course triumphant, if not a bit gloating, but they all felt unsettled by Endymion's sudden and very public display of love and devotion, for he had always been a very reserved man. She was not about to explain, however; she only prayed for his safe return tonight, and then she would take him into her arms and soothe away all the guilt and hurt from him—he carried a burden far too heavy for any one man. Tonight, she would bare her Soul and ask him to do the same: she could no longer live like this, his wife in name only. She needed him to understand that she was willing to do anything that he asked, and that whatever was bothering him and creating this distance between them—well, she would change and close that distance.

"They're ready."

Closing her eyes and sending her prayers to the Divines, Serenity gathered her robe about her and strode quickly toward the control room—tent. "We depart in five minutes," she reminded Mina, a bit unnecessarily, of course, but anything to take her mind off Endymion.

"Of course," Mina responded, and followed the Queen into the tent.

"Serenity—"

Something in Lita's voice alarmed her. Even before she turned toward the screens, she dreaded that she might see him die before her very own eyes, too far away to help and too close to act rashly.

When she saw the screen, she gave an audible gasp, stunned. Endymion stood in front of the enemy—or the enemy fort—alone, unarmed save for his sword, with his eyes closed in concentration. He couldn't be surrendering to the enemy so soon—could he? The sounds of battle echoed still behind him—he would not just sacrifice his soldiers—would he?

"Endymion—" Andrew broke out harshly, his fingers white against the controls. "What are you doing?"

_Endy?_ she sent the question to him, but he didn't respond. When he opened his eyes, they were clearer than she'd ever seen them—except that day by the River Vivaldi, when they forged that indestructible bond between them. _Endy, talk to me. What are you doing?_

"Endymion, stop!"

"No, no, no—wait!"

The King ignored them all. Taking a deep breath, he started for the entrance, alone, unaided, his eyes a steely blue.

_Don't do this, please, Endy!_

Serenity did not know if she was begging him to wait for backup or to be loyal to her.

* * *

"We depart _now_!" the Queen barked out the order, already halfway to the door.

"But, Serenity, Endymion—"

"—Will just have to wait for us!" she bellowed, ignoring the sudden silence that followed her proclamation. "I said _now_!"

There was a mad scramble, and then they were off. Serenity drew a cloak about her strikingly white gown, her eyes bright with determination. Whatever Endymion intended to do—well, she'd just have to catch up. She tried not to consider the possibility of treason, but the thought circled her mind like a vulture, especially in the wake of his inconsistent actions.

The wind whipped her face and she shivered. Why did it have to be the dead of the winter? She would've preferred spring or autumn, when the weather would be cool but not cold, when she could've had the chance to stroll the gardens.

_Endy, talk to me,_ she commanded, annoyed, exasperated, and, above all, worried. _What are you doing?_

Like she expected, there was no response. And she steeled herself, refusing to show the turmoil inside her, as she felt the glances of those around her. Whatever he meant to do, he'd have to wait for her. She would not allow him to do it alone again; she was going to share his burden and his responsibilities.

_Wait for me._

* * *

It was but a little more than an hour's ride to the battlefield. Serenity suppressed a shiver when she felt the energy waves and turned to Amy, rapidly issuing orders for her to set up the control room as soon as she could.

"Is there still a feed from him?" she asked the question in a low voice, careful not to let others overhear.

Amy's troubled face alarmed Serenity. "No…either he cut off the feed himself or the fields around the fortress compromised it."

Serenity closed her eyes briefly. "Work on that," she told the blue-haired Sentinel.

In the meanwhile, trying to keep her composure, Serenity confirmed the statistics with Lita and Raye and tapped into the Crystal again, familiarizing herself for the millionth time with the energy pulses. She could feel the battles just ahead, and she feared for her husband's safety.

After Andrew gave her the latest updates on the casualties, she strode into the newly set-up tent, watching as Amy toyed with the controls, trying to reestablish a connection with the King. She did not care if the fortress had cut it off; after all, the enemy's stronghold was bound to be rampant with security measures of all kinds. But if he had cut off the feed himself…

No use regretting the past. She must quickly reestablish a connection; the battles outside might last longer than she expected, as her soldiers and those of Endymion's were putting up a very formidable fight. However, the battles outside would not compare at all to the battle inside that she was planning, and from the looks of it, her husband would join her in that battle on her side. He would know the enemy's weaknesses; he would have analyzed them and modeled them and lived and relived them every moment since he'd been back from enemy control. And he would help her. He had to help her. If he didn't help her, there was no possible way that she could succeed. Her powers and her Craft were simply not enough.

"Serenity."

"Yes?" she walked quickly to the blue-haired Sentinel, tense and expectant. "A connection?"

"Yes, but I have no idea what I'm seeing."

Serenity took a look and paled. Endymion was walking toward a double door, heavily gilded and guarded. "Get the others," she ordered Amy and pulled the feed up on the screen, horrified when her husband did not even slow down or draw his sword.

_Endy, what are you doing?_ As she'd expected, there was no response. Frantically, she searched for premonitions—anything at all, anything at all! If she could even see what would happen—if she could _understand_ what was happening—perhaps she could stop it, perhaps she could stop him from walking to his certain death.

And she watched, frozen, as he nodded to the guards. Her heart sank when they opened the door for him. Serenity did not know if she wanted to hide in the face of his conspiring with the enemy—in the face of his blatant betrayal—or to lash out, to hurt him as badly as he'd repeatedly hurt her. In the moments it took for him to see the enemy, Serenity had poised undecidedly on the edge, her mind flashing back to the precious few minutes before his departure, when he had given her hope for their future together. Had he meant to bid farewell to her then? Had he meant it as goodbye to bygone times? Had he pitied her for her agony and, the callous man he was, had he meant to comfort her and tell her that once upon a time, they had an extraordinary love between them?

"Good. I see you have come. Just as I expected," the enemy drawled slowly, dangerously, its eyes slits of greed.

"Yes," Endymion responded, his voice cool and empty, his expression telling nothing.

"And have you, Endymion," the enemy stood slowly, its long, talon-like fingers extending toward the dark-haired man. "Have you hurt her, like I instructed?"

Serenity's ears roared when she heard the question and she stumbled back, heedless of where she fell, only aware of the dawning realization that he had indeed betrayed her—willingly, from the looks of the exchange.

"I have." Endymion's response was once again cool and succinct, leaving no doubt of his intentions.

"Very good." The enemy stopped a few feet away, examining the man at length, a dangerous smile on its lips. "Lay down your sword for me, Endymion."

"No!" burst from Andrew's lips, an anguished, torn cry from the man who once knew Endymion as a brother.

"Sweetie, it's all right," Serenity heard Mina's voice, far, far away, and, dazed, she looked at the face above her and the arms holding her, astonished to find her vision blurred.

"It's all right, Serena," Mina murmured softly, gently wiping her cheeks. The Sentinel's eyes were dark and wet, but she dared not allow herself the grief just yet; the Queen needed her the most, not only as her Queen but also as her friend, the woman who'd come such a long way and who had fought so hard for all that she loved—only to be betrayed by the one man she could not give up.

Serenity realized that she was crying. And once the realization hit, it seemed as though the tears would never stop. Sounds foreign to her ears were spilling out of her lips, and she realized that they were sobs. They sounded hollow and painful, but why was she crying?

Looking back to the screen, Serenity saw the belt buckle and remembered her fingers pulling it off his hips just hours past. The sword lay on the marble floor, a luminous contrast to the dark stones underneath his feet. His expression was still empty, and he had once again blocked their connection that was so recently opened in the precious few moments before his departure.

"Endy," she murmured, shocked to hear her own voice, so rough and broken, and the tears seemed to never stop.

Amy reached forward to cut the connection; she could no longer bear witness to this gruesome scene. The Queen ended here; their fight ended here. And whoever wrote the lines "And Hope always prevails / And Love / Love always fashions Its own Ways" was lying.

"No!" burst from Serenity's lips, stopping the blue-haired Sentinel from cutting the connection.

"Serena, let her do it," Mina soothed her friend and Queen.

"No, no, I want to see it," and somehow, her voice and her tone seemed to contradict that statement.

On the screen, Endymion stood unarmed, looking at the enemy—or, Serenity corrected herself, his ally.

"I come to you as I come to my Queen. I have prepared for you."

The words sank into her heart and tore her apart again. My Queen. So the enemy was his Queen. And she would be but a plaything, an amusement, someone to satisfy his thirsts. Serenity could no longer hear anything above the roar in her ears, and she watched, entranced, as the enemy hissed in pleasure.

"Very good. Whom do you serve now, Endymion? To whom do you swear your allegiance, your body, your heart, and your very soul?"

"I serve one Queen and one Queen only," he said, his face still stoic.

A light flickered on the screen. Serenity tried to see past the veil of tears. The light grew and surrounded Endymion—grew in shape and intensity, as his voice, clear as ever, rang in the empty hall—

"Her name is Serena."

* * *

Gasps echoed around the control room as the screen went dark. Endymion had cut the connection.

And, suddenly, as clear as his voice had been, Serenity understood his distance these past months, understood his spite, understood every moment of their strained relationship, every night he came to her, every look, every touch, every unspoken word he had so desperately wanted to say but could not—

And she tore from Mina's grasp.

* * *

The fortress was cold. Colder than she expected and convoluted.

Her Sentinels and the Generals had shouted after her, calling her name, all stunned by the exchange that had transpired on the screen—but no one, she was sure, realized the significance, nor why it meant so much to her.

_Endy?_ She murmured, concerned when she felt no response from him. _Sweetheart, where are you?_

A pulse came from him to her and she stopped, momentarily disoriented, as the connection between them flared and then settled into a constant stream of love.

_Sweetheart…_

Serenity closed her eyes at all the unspoken things underneath that simple endearment. No time for that now; tonight, when the battle ended, she'd hold him and let him tell her anything and everything he wanted—he needed.

_Endy, where are you?_

_The throne room. Follow me._

She searched along their link and followed him until she came upon the double doors. The guards were no longer here.

_Serena, be careful,_ warned Mina. _If the enemy lays a trap, neither you nor Endymion will know about it._

_I know._ Taking a deep breath, she reached for the doorknob. It opened effortlessly, without any of the troubles she was expecting—and prepared—to encounter.

The room was dark, but not so dark that she could not see. In a few moments, her eyes had adjusted and a gasp escaped her as she saw the mass lying on the ground—twisted, in an unnatural position. Next to him was a faintly glowing, softly pulsing object, fading even as she neared it.

_Endy?_ The fear gripped her heart and made her choke. _Endy?_

_Sweetheart._ The relief in his voice was palpable. _I thought I would never see you again._

_Endy!_ She dropped to her knees next to him, reaching for his hands. They were cold and weak. _Sweetheart, why did you never tell me?_

His eyes opened, his Soul exposed to her. _I didn't want you to shoulder this alone._

_That gives you no right to take everything upon yourself!_ She shouted at him and wanted to hurt him, for causing her all this pain when they could've just held each other and helped each other all these past months.

His eyes closed and he drew a shaky breath. _I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I didn't want to hurt you._

She wanted to lash out at him, to make him see and feel the pain he inflicted on her—how could he have hurt her so badly, how could he have simply sat back and allowed his callousness to hurt her?

The light was fading fast and suddenly, she realized its significance. _Sweetheart? Endy?_ The fear gripped her tighter until she could barely breathe. His face was pale and his breathing shallow. There was no blood on him, but she knew the damages went deeper.

His eyes opened again and she caught her breath at their dazzling depths. _I love you,_ he murmured, his fingers closing around hers. _I always have. Just in a strange way._

_Endy, you're not being Called, are you?_ She questioned him, already knowing the answer and yet dreading it all the same.

_No._

She found her vision suddenly blurred again and gathered him closer, kissing his cold lips and willing him to respond. _Sweetheart, don't leave me. Please don't leave me now. We have so much between us. You can't leave me now. Not now. Not when we've just found a chance._

_I love you,_ he said again, closing his eyes, drawing his last breath.

_Don't leave me,_ she begged, hugging him closer to her, trying to breathe around the fear and panic. _Please don't leave me, Endy._

_I love you._ His murmurs were faint and his light slowly faded. The object dropped to the marble floor, clinking ominously against the stones. His sword flashed once and then, it, too, darkened, the jewel-encrusted hilt now lifeless.

_NO! NO! Endy!_

* * *

Serenity sat on the marble floor, staring at the body of her husband, hugging her knees and rocking back and forth. _Endy, don't leave me. Don't leave me._ She repeated her prayers like a mantra, unwilling to let him go, unwilling to face the battle that yet awaited her.

_Serena…_ came Mina's voice, but she blocked it out, along with her connection to control room.

_Endy. You can't leave me now._ She felt cold and lonely, her tears making two salty trails down her cheeks. _We still have so many children to make together._

The joke fell flat, now that he who'd always teased her wasn't here to tease her anymore. She cried harder and railed at Fate, at the Divines, who had decreed that Love could not exist between the Divines. Who were They to deny true Soulmates? Who were They to send him down to Earth to help the Earthlings and then abandon him when his Immortal life could not defeat the likes of The Witch? And who were They to take him away from her, when she most needed him?

Her eyes traced the dear features, the now lifeless body, and tears started afresh. The gem lay dark next to him, now lifeless as Its owner had done the impossible and died.

And the heaviest decision of all weighed on her shoulder. Should she save him? Should she give him the Crystal, at an unthinkable price? Trillions of souls would die if they did not defeat The Witch. They would be banished from the Heavens and who knew what else?

And yet, how could she not to? How could she not revive him, as she was sure he'd do if their positions were reversed? How could she let him go as such, when she knew for sure that she wouldn't be able to defeat The Witch anyway? The best she could do was to seal The Witch away, but once she sealed The Witch away, what would she do then? She could not follow in his footsteps; she could only watch him go, and she had no intention of living a life without him.

But her responsibility—her duty—came first and foremost before any personal feelings and considerations. Yet knowing that she could not complete her task—

_What would life be without you?_ She asked his lifeless body, ignoring the silent ticking of the clock, knowing that as she hesitated and deliberated, The Witch was gaining in strength and confidence. _What would life be without you, Endy? I daren't think of it. Without you and without Leo, there will be no life for me._

Her task lay ahead of her. The Witch had to be sealed away. If she should save him, if she gave him the Silver Crystal, she would have no life force. And if she should save him, she could not save the untold trillions of souls.

And decision made, the Queen reached for her Craft.

* * *

One more chapter to go guys!

-Crystal Selena


	15. Epilogue: A Love So StrongNever Fails

Disclaimer:

Sailor Moon and the characters do not belong to me and all other standard disclaimers apply.

* * *

The heart is the place where we live our passions. It is frail and easily broken, but wonderfully resilient. There is no point in trying to deceive the heart. It depends upon our honesty for its survival.  
— Leo Buscaglia —

* * *

The sun was streaming into the windows, bypassing the billowing curtains, when she woke. For a moment, she felt disoriented, and a headache she knew would appear had already started throbbing. Groaning softly, she moved her head and nearly yelped in pain—and then she remembered.

Easing around, she looked upon the visage of her sleeping husband, his arms tight around her, her hair a mess upon the bed. And sometime during the night, they'd rolled over and her hair had found a new spot underneath his shoulder.

He was deep in sleep and his breathing was even. A new scar had appeared on his chest, the newest addition to his battle scars. Gently, she followed the scar with her fingers, biting her lip and remembering the pain in his eyes.

_Find something you like?_

Startled, she looked up into his face and blushed when she realized her hand had strayed lower, much lower. Giggling softly, she snuggled closer to him, breathing in his musky scent. _Yes,_ she replied, loving the way he shifted and then threaded his fingers through her hair. _Endy, we should go down to breakfast. I'm hungry._

_You're always hungry,_ he teased gently, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Giggling again like a smitten maiden, Serenity pressed her ear against his heart and listened to the comforting beats. _Well, yes, with the sort of activity we've been doing 24/7. We've already missed breakfast for an entire week,_ she chided him, although the fault was not entirely his. _You know, at some point, they're going to start wondering._

_Well, it is common knowledge that we're making more babies,_ nuzzling her hair, his hands drifted and caressed every inch of bare skin that he encountered. _Sweetheart, I missed you,_ he murmured, setting to work on her sensitive neck.

She relaxed into her husband's embrace and closed her eyes, her memory, like his hands, drifting. Unconsciously, she traced the scar on his chest again, remembering the pain he'd suffered for her. A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth.

She'd given the Crystal to him. It was the only choice she could make. And when he'd opened his eyes again, he'd given her his—and the result was the missing piece she could never find in the Silver Crystal. The vital, missing piece of the puzzle was his Craft—his Golden Crystal, which she never suspected—in fact, none of them had ever suspected that he was an Immortal, and though his ancestors before him had been sent down from the Heavens to help the earthlings, he was still an Immortal, down to the last fiber of his being. And he, alone, captured her heart and Soul, he alone among the race of man. And he, alone, rivaled her in beauty and power. Those lines she'd always thought to have pertained to his military prowess, but those lines she knew now to refer to the Golden Crystal.

Her stomach growled and her husband growled in return. Giggling again, she pressed a kiss to him. _Sorry, Sweetheart. I'm really hungry._

_Can we call up breakfast?_ He continued his work on her neck, growling again as she swept her hands down his back.

_We called up breakfast around noon every day this past week,_ she murmured, urging his head to hers and pressing another kiss to him.

_Yes, but I have to make up for lost time,_ he complained, deepening their kiss. And then his stomach grumbled, too.

Bursting into laughter, she rolled out of the messy bed and pointed an accusing finger at him. _You're hungry too! Don't deny it!_

His eyes gleaming with mischief, Endymion bolted from the bed and chased after his wife. _At this moment, I'm hungry for something more._

He caught up with her and tackled her, both of them falling to the carpeted floor, laughing and holding each other tight. _Sweetheart, I'm sorry._

She turned her eyes upon his and stiffened slightly, a frown setting upon her brows at this sudden change of topic and mood, something she'd been trying to avoid. _Endy, give me time,_ she murmured, rolling away from him and reaching for a robe. _I need time before we talk._

_All right._

She did not have to strain to hear the reluctance in his voice, but she heard his respect for her decision. Hesitating on her path to the bathtub, she extended her arms and he came to her, wrapping her into his embrace.

_Sweetheart, we have so much between us and I just have so much to make up to you._

_I know, Endy. I know._

* * *

Endymion sighed and rubbed his temples, tired beyond all reason. Taking a sip of the bourbon next to him, he returned to the work before him, too caught up in the mental calculations of Reconstruction to hear the knock on the door or the man who'd entered.

Artemis cleared his throat and bent his head respectfully before the King. "My Lord, the report you wanted."

"Thank you, Artemis," Endymion said easily. "Will you put it on the stack of reports there? I have to admit, I'm rather behind."

Artemis did as he was asked and hesitated a moment, venturing a glance at his liege. Hesitating again, he decided to leave the King be, as he was busy and much behind on his work.

"What is it, Artemis?" Endymion asked, when he sensed the other man's uncertainty. "Ask me, if you wish to do so. Nothing has changed between us; neither my Power nor my Immortal blood marks me any different from the man I was before the War."

Artemis gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I did not hope to delude you, my Lord."

"So says every other General and Sentinel. And even Luna. Artemis, if you are worried, I do not blame you or your wife for not revealing the truth to Serena."

Artemis took a moment letting that information sink in. Then he gave a rueful smile. "We didn't know you knew."

"Oh, I knew. Of course I knew. But I hoped and prayed that you would not tell Serena; if she knew, I could not have carried the act very far. And yet, I hoped that you would." Endymion rubbed his eyes again.

"And my Lady, is she—very angry?"

Endymion smiled when he heard the question. "Angry does not begin to cover it, Artemis. She is coping, I think, although she and I have much to forgiving to do, and I'm at a loss where to begin showing her how much I love her." Rubbing his eyes again, the King leaned back in his chair.

"My Lord…"

Endymion waved the other man's concerns away. "That's something Serena and I need to deal with. In the meanwhile, I hope everyone is coping well with the latest events?"

"Well enough," Artemis consented with a laugh. "They're all very surprised, of course, but they're quick to understand the inconsistencies of your actions, my Lord. It will take a while, like it always does."

"Just my wife, then," Endymion spoke softly to himself, his eyes far away. Sighing again, he pushed himself away from the polished worktable. "Give my regards to Luna."

"Certainly, my Lord." Artemis inclined his head again and turned on his heels, leaving the King to his thoughts.

* * *

The rain was light this time of the year, soft and misty, chiming its own song as it hit the rooftops and the grass outside.

In her riding habit, the Queen sat in the gardens, gazing at the roses that surrounded her. She would ride and the rain would not stop her, but riding was not the solution to the wall that had come between them, and she was simply shunning all those unspoken things between them.

Still undecided, she strode toward the stables, checking the time and deciding that she would have dinner when she came back from riding. She was not so enthusiastic about formal state suppers. Her husband was going to have to deal with the intricacies of political diplomacy for her tonight and the next few months; their children are growing with each passing day, and she could already feel Leo's Soul within the body of the boy inside her.

As she approached the stables, she noticed a blue-haired woman with a basket, standing next to a man saddling a horse. A lump rose in her throat; now that the War was over and Reconstruction well underway, her Sentinels and friends finally had some time to themselves. Unlike her husband and her, Amy and Greg are treasuring precious moments and making up for lost time.

"Serena!"

Smiling, she waved to the couple and bade them good wishes and briefly noted the rain. The two didn't seem to mind, so the Queen set off for another direction, deciding to leave the couple, as they so needed and so deserved some time alone.

_Sweetheart, what are you doing out here in the rain?_

Her heart flopped in her chest and then settled into a steady rhythm, although she found that her breath was quite irregular. Extending her arms, she hugged him and let him kiss her, but like always, he lingered just a moment longer than was necessary in public.

_Riding?_

_Not anymore,_ she responded, stealing glances over his shoulders and, seeing no one within eyeshot, snuggled closer to him. _Amy and Greg were in the stables when I went._

His hands were comforting and soothing against her swollen stomach and he drew her closer. _Don't ride in this weather; I fear that you'd fall ill._

_You worry too much, Endy,_ she sighed and pressed herself closer, seeking comfort from the man she could not give up and the man who caused her this pain and confusion.

_Of course I worry too much. You're my wife. And you carry our children._ His hands curved around her belly and his caress eased some tension from her body. _How are you feeling?_

_Very tense,_ she admitted. _I'll be back in the study very soon. What about supper?_

_Today's Sunday, Sweetie._

_Oh, right. I forgot._ Sundays were the days to which she looked forward the most because there were no state functions on Sundays, except in emergency cases such as during the War. Usually they'd roll out of bed sometime near noon and have a very late breakfast, then ride or sail together, coming back to take a long walk through the surrounding woods, holding hands and sometimes talking and sometimes not. Afterward, they'd send for supper and share the meal in the privacy of their chambers. When they retired for the night, it was usually past the midnight stroke.

This Sunday, however, was not ordinary. Since spending time with him and taking some time for herself had not helped her ambiguous feelings toward his strange conduct at all, Serenity decided to spend some more time alone to ponder her thoughts.

His kiss was longer this time, longer and deeper, and he supported her against him as they proceeded down the brightly lit corridors toward their suite. _Come, Sweetheart. I have drawn a bath for you. You look so very tired._

Serenity did not mention that her fatigue was due mostly to the thoughts in her head and the tangles of them. In the immediate aftermath of the long and hard battle against The Witch, she had not questioned him the logic in his actions but had instead welcomed him back with no hesitation. But now that his and her Crafts had combined, now that his scar had healed, now that Reconstruction was well underway, now that her Sentinel and his Generals had adapted to this change and reevaluation of the King, now that he had given her everything that she'd dreamed in the months before the final battle, she wavered and doubted.

Why had he been so cruel—how could he have done it so heartlessly, when he could see and feel so clearly that every moment, waking or sleeping, was agony to her broken heart? How still he'd been, when she fixed his shirt and jacket for him the morning of that final battle. How very still and emotionless he'd been, as she had pressed her lips against his.

She did not doubt now for a moment that he had been loyal to her, that he'd always been loyal to her, and that even when The Witch had controlled his body, his mind and his heart and his Soul had always been hers, had stayed with her no matter how strongly The Witch had urged him to abandon her. But she could not accept his actions in those dark, dreary months. No matter how much he'd hurt her, she'd believed in him, coming back always to the fact that he had loved her, that he could not possibly renounce his love, even when his actions so very clearly pointed to the opposite. She had faith in him and in them. She had faith, and she survived on that alone. And he had depended on it, consciously or unconsciously. He had taken her faith for granted; he had believed that she would survive on her faith, endure the agony, and would afterwards throw herself into his arms and take him back without question or delay.

As her husband, her lover, her very best friend, as he who knew her as no one else had known her and ever would, he was entitled to the assumption, to taking her faith for granted. But had their positions been reversed—had he been the one charged with saving the Universe when she was an undiscovered Immortal with her Craft—she would have confided in him, she would have helped him through the War, would have supported him and loved him as he had hurt her and rejected her.

_Sweetheart?_

She had grown stiff around him, and it took her conscious effort to be kind, to be loving, and to contain her thoughts. His arm tightened around her as he slowed their pace and turned her face toward his. _Sweetheart, are you all right? Do you feel faint?_

Faint, yes. But not from fatigue.

_Endy, Sweetheart, do you mind to call for me some soup, while I continue to our chambers? I'm rather chilled._

_Of course, Bunny._ He drew her close for another protracted kiss and set her carefully and tenderly on her feet before heading down in another corridor, casting behind him a worried glance. In another moment, however, he was beside her once again, sweeping her into his arms, his lips soft and loving against hers. Wrapping her arms around him, she closed her eyes and opened them again at the request of her husband, who had now reached the door to their suite and asked her to open it, so that he would not have to let her go.

When he came back with the soup she'd requested, the Queen was fast asleep, her hands curved protectively around the roundness of her belly.

* * *

Days and then weeks passed. While Reconstruction continued, the Queen went to live on the Moon for a while, spurning the call for her coronation, knowing that if she were to become the Queen in name, she would also have to answer for her husband, would also have place complete faith and trust in him, would have to crown him.

Meanwhile, she went about her daily duties, busying herself with the important and the trivial, her belly growing by the day. At night, when she lay awake in bed, she could feel his hands, light as a feather, caressing her and comforting her, as the miles lay between them. Some nights he would tell her of particular events of his day, others he would lay silent, his body next to her, his arms tight around her. At such times, knowing that she could not deceive him by feigning sleep, she withdrew, isolating herself, hearing his voice from a great distance during the times that he talked. And he noticed; oh, of course he did. He never commented, never asked her, never pushed her; he only held her tighter, caressing her rounded belly to maintain the fragile connection they had.

Tonight, as she lay sleeping with restless dreams, she felt his hands once more and smiled a little. He was late tonight. And his hands were cold, much colder than she would've preferred for her rounded belly.

_Where have you been, Endy?_

_Out with the Generals. We did some inspection. Sorry I'm late, Sweetie._

She sighed in response and squeezed his hand. Today, she was feeling particularly charitable and generous, as she had accomplished much during the day and was half asleep anyway.

_Tell me about the inspections, Love._

And so he did. It wasn't the information that she needed; rather, she wanted to hear his voice, the feel of his chest rising and falling behind her, the gentle touch of his fingers as they curved protectively over her belly. She missed him terribly and hadn't seen him in over a month. A month was a long time. No matter their differences and the chasm between them, she had missed him and the loving devotion he showered upon her, the kind that she could lose herself in, the kind where she imagined that nothing had gone wrong between them.

When she awoke the next morning, Luna was across the room, arranging breakfast on a low table with tea. Smiling, she watched the servant set the silverware, her eyes roving and settling on the large portrait of him above the mantelpiece.

Her smile faded. Though she had promised herself to rid of that portrait, she could never do it; she could never lift it out of its place and throw it away. She had missed him so very terribly, not just these past few weeks, but the months that lay between them, as he had tried to sever their connection and keep his secret from her.

Suddenly energized, the Queen pushed the sheets back and padded toward the marbled bathroom.

"Luna, ask Artemis to prepare a ship. I wish to go home to my husband."

* * *

Another day of inspections. Spring was not far off, but the winter cold still lay around them with the pristine snow, making Reconstruction much harder. The entire landscape was white; the last snow of the season was falling heavily around them. In the shivering cold, Endymion thought of his wife and her silence and distance, lamenting his decision but knowing that there was no other way for him. If he had told him, she would not have allowed him to take the fall; she would have insisted and would have protected him, much as she'd tried with her blood more than a year ago, when they'd just heard of the news.

"My Lord, are you well?"

Endymion turned and forced a smile for Andrew. "Cold, like always. Do you wish to head back to the palace, Andrew? I know Mina is waiting for you."

Andrew chuckled, shaking his head. "Do I wish to head back? Of course, Enymion. My wife is waiting for me. My wife and my baby are waiting for me."

"It's a girl," Chad announced nonchalantly, pulling on the reins.

"A boy!" Greg said enthusiastically. "Or a boy and a girl."

Endymion smiled, shaking his head. "You head on home, all of you. I'll be just a moment."

"Are you sure, Endymion?" Andrew asked, looking at his friend. "It's dark already and there are no lamps on this back road."

"Yes, I'm sure. Supper is waiting, I'm sure, and so are the fire and the women."

Ken gave a shout and kicked his horse into a sprint, heading for the direction of the palace. He was followed by the rest of the Generals who, knowing that the King needed some moments, rushed home to their families.

Watching them ride off, Endymion smiled bitterly. They had families to go back to; he had only a distant wife and their unborn children, leagues away on the Moon. He looked at the orb in the sky and sighed, picturing her sweet face and her silver-blue eyes. How he missed her! How he missed her kiss, her embrace, her laughter, her sweet dimples and ways. How happy they'd been in the countryside, when they had lived ordinary lives. How happy were those carefree days—how happy, how sad, how distant and irretrievable those days had become.

If only he could get through to her; if only he could show her how much he needed and loved her, how he could not live without her.

* * *

Eagerly, she looked through the men who'd just returned from their inspection, looking for the dark hair and those piercing blue eyes. Her nervousness returned when she could only count four men, all of them dismounting and greeting her warmly, surprised to see her back so early and so unexpectedly.

"Serenity, is there an emergency?" one of them asked, to which she responded no.

After the greetings, the men led their stallions to their stalls, calling to each other and acting like love-besotted youths. Nervously, feeling the iron at the pit of her stomach, she stepped forward and asked the men the whereabouts of her husband.

"Still out," Andrew reported, looking up from the task of unsaddling his horse. "My lady, fear not; he has not been injured. He only asked us to return first."

"Oh." Serenity thanked the men, disappointed. "And when will he be back? The sun's already set and supper will be served very soon."

"We don't know, my lady. My Lord has been particularly reclusive as of late; he has been taking long, ambling walks and rides."

Serenity stood there a moment, biting her bottom lip, undecided whether she should ask him to return or whether she should stay here and wait for him. When the stable boys offered her a chair, she politely refused with a smile, thanking them, returning to her thoughts. The men finished their work with the horses and filed past her, tipping their hats and expressed concern for her welfare, which she brushed off with a smile and a note of assurance. The men then hurried past her toward the palace, eager for warmth, food, and their wives or fiancées.

Serenity did not know how long she stood there. It could have been only a few minutes, but as she was lost in her thoughts, she could not know for certain. The hoofs of a horse awakened her from her thoughts and she looked up, seeing the tired form of her husband pulling his stallion to a stop and dismounting. At this point, the horse recognized her and neighed, trotting forward to nuzzle against her cheek, bringing a smile to the Queen's face.

"Hello. I missed you too," she murmured, patting the horse. "Have you been good to my husband? He's very dear to me, and you must keep him well."

Endymion stood there, shocked, staring as his wife continued to pat his stallion, his war-horse who had been tamed by his wife. In the dim lights overhead, he could make out the roundness of her belly and the curve of her cheeks, her lips tilted in a smile.

"My Lord!"

Shaking himself mentally, Endymion nodded kindly to the stable boys with a smile. "And your father?"

"Sir, he just went to get us some supper, sir."

Smiling again, he patted the heads of the three boys, all freckled, thinking whimsically that he would like his boy to be so carefree and curious. His eyes fell on his wife again, and he saw her stare, her nervous stance and thin gown. In a heartbeat, he was next to her, wrapping her into the warmth of his cloak and arms.

_I didn't know you were to come back today,_ he murmured, pressing a kiss to her temple.

_This morning I woke up and I decided to come home._ Eagerly, though still nervously, she tilted her head toward his and wasn't disappointed in his kiss. Her belly felt like an intruding creature at the moment, but her husband didn't seem to mind. In fact, his arms wrapped around all of her, his fingers caressing bare skin where he could reach and the gown where he could not.

_Sweetheart, we must get you inside. I don't want you to catch a cold, and you look tired._ He nodded to the father who'd just returned, and patted his horse affectionately.

_No, no, Endy, I know how much he means to you. If you want to unsaddle him and take care of him, I'll wait,_ she added hastily, her hands sweeping across the wide expanse of his shoulders, sighing at the sweet reality of him next to her.

_But, Sweetheart…_

_Don't worry, I won't be sick. I'll wait,_ she promised with a smile and let him go reluctantly, watching as he led the stallion to his stall, following those strong hands as they moved effortlessly to unsaddle the horse. Even underneath the layers of clothes, she could see his muscles rippling. His face was closed, the characteristic look of concentration that he often wore.

After a long while, when he was done, Serenity welcomed his embrace and held him close as he led her back towards the palace. Inhaling his scent, she pressed an impulsive kiss to him, smiling when he actually stopped to kiss her properly.

"Sweetheart, I missed you," he sighed, holding her close.

"I missed you too," she responded. "Come, it's quite late. I've prepared supper for you."

"Really?" the surprise in his voice made her smile. She led him through the corridors toward the suite in silence, holding his hand and thankful that he was her husband, that he was there for her, in his own, sometimes strange way.

_Here we are,_ she said, closing and locking the door behind them. Standing behind him, she reached for his layers of clothes, pausing once in a while to caress and kiss a patch of bare skin, sighing as she felt the warmth of him.

_Sweetheart?_ He asked, uncertainly, as she unbuttoned his shirt.

_Yes?_ She answered absentmindedly, her nimble and deft fingers quickly working the buttons.

When she had his cold, chilled clothes off, she led him toward the bathroom, where a hot bath was waiting. Shrugging off his cloak, she left that on the rug, holding onto his hand and closing her fingers around his.

_Bunny, Sweetheart, are you all right?_

She looked at him, at the concern and love in his eyes, at their entwined fingers, the soft and hard man in front of her, and tears welled up. She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him, poured all of her soul into that kiss, crying and gasping for breath at the same time.

_Sweetheart…_

She tore herself away from him, shaking her head, biting the back of her hand to keep herself from total collapse. She knew that if the tears started, they would never stop, and she couldn't afford to break in front of him, not yet, not when she still didn't know where she stood, not when every particle in her wanted to love him and hate him at the same time.

In a heartbeat, he was next to her again, and the arms that wrapped around her were strong and comforting, the kind of embrace where she could easily forget her sorrows. She could feel his breath stirring her hair, and his softly murmured endearments opened the gate.

How she had missed him! How she had missed his embrace, his kiss, his laughter, his passion, his touch! Everything about him—and she could never escape him, could never rid of her love for him, no matter how hard she tried, no matter how much time and pain lapsed. How could she, when they were bound as one, when their hearts and minds and souls lay entangled, refusing to separate, making up for the minutes, hours, days, months that they missed.

When she was aware of her surroundings once more, she found herself nestled in his arms, her husband curled safely around her, his embrace strong and comforting. They had slid to the floor and lay against the tub, and even as she stirred, his arms tightened and his soft whispers sent shivers down her spine.

_You must be cold,_ she murmured, caressing the well-toned muscles and gloriously naked form of her husband. _I'm sorry._

_Don't be,_ he replied, lifting her thick mane from her nape and pressing a delicate kiss to the skin there. Another shiver shot down her spine and she inhaled sharply, closing her eyes at the tender gesture. Then he drew away from her, just a little, and urged her to her feet. While their arms still wrapped around each other, he peeled the silk from her, kissing little patches of skin as she had done to him less than half an hour prior, his touch a balm against her wounds.

She did not open her eyes again, wounding her arms tighter around him as he lifted her easily into the tub. He joined her there, and they lay for long moments like that, his fingers drawing circles on her lower back.

* * *

_How do you like it?_

Her eyes were bright with anticipation and her legs were tucked under her, a thin robe across her otherwise nude form, a sash across her protruding waist. He had insisted that she wear this robe after they finally finished with their bath. He had looked at the fireplace and the embers had immediately burst into flames. Then, with infinite care, he had slid the robe around her, each movement accompanied by a kiss. When he had finished with that, he had taken her brush and had admired her waves openly.

A soft glint of appreciation lit his intensely blue eyes as she sent him a coy smile. _How do you like it?_ She repeated the question, rubbing the back of her hand across his cheek.

_Ravishing,_ he murmured, setting the spoon away from her hand. _My lady, come, now for my dessert…_

_But that is the dessert!_ She said, slightly surprised, and flushed when his eyes raked over her, setting tingles and shivers wherever his gaze touched.

His smile was tender and he drew her into his arms, threading his fingers through her luxurious waves. _You are always my dessert,_ he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. _Always my prize. Always my life._

* * *

Letting a groan past her lips, the Queen reached over for her husband and sat up in alarm when the spot next to her proved to be cold and quite empty. Rolling out of bed, she saw the dying embers of the fire and noticed the tray on a low table next to it.

She strode over the table and quickly scanned through the note he'd left her. A soft smile played upon her lips as she examined the contents of the breakfast he'd prepared for her—"which pales in comparison to the supper you painstakingly made for me"—and smiled at the Darjeeling tea.

Her eyes misted as she remembered his tender care the night before. He had massaged the tension from her shoulders, the soreness of her feet, and the pressure on her back. He had not asked her for anything in return—in fact, had not even asked her anything beyond her welfare and comfort. He had asked frequently, since her back had started hurting more than usually, and she assured him with a smile and a kiss that she felt fine. And then they had drifted off to sleep.

She checked the angle of the sun and shook her head in dismay. It was almost noon; she had overslept. Again. The breakfast was only still warm because he left it next to the dying fire. She dropped the fork she was holding when her belly started aching again, worse than it had last night, and she groaned, rubbing the spot with resignation. The discomforts of pregnancy and labor.

Luna came in at the moment and she appreciated the company the other woman brought. She could see the lines on Luna's face that had not been there before; the crow's feet were beyond her years. The War had worn on her, just as it had everyone else. Unlike before the War, however, a soft glow of happiness now radiated on her face.

"Good morning, my Lady," Luna greeted with a smile.

"Good morning, Luna," Serenity returned warmly. "I'm off to see my husband as soon as I've had a few bites to eat. The babies are hungry; will you help me with the tray? My husband was considerate enough to prepare breakfast for me. He could be a chef if he wanted; he got the title of the King instead."

Luna's smile widened. The Queen was particularly effusive today; no doubt she was in high spirits. "Mentioning of the babies, my Lady," Luna said as she helped the Queen lift the breakfast tray to the table. "How are they?"

"Active," Serenity said dryly. "Very active. And my lower back has been hurting."

"For how long, my Lady?"

"The pains started soon after we boarded the ship home," the Queen sat down at the table and started on her breakfast. "Yes, Luna, it's labor. But I didn't want to worry him. And it's unnecessary at this time. I'll tell him when they're closer."

"But they're only fifteen minutes apart!"

Startled, Serenity looked up from her breakfast at the woman in front of her. A long moment of silence passed before a smile crossed her lips. "I never did hope to hide from you, Luna," she said softly, as if to herself. "I shall finish breakfast and go down to my husband. And then I'll tell him."

"My Lady, you understand this will be a difficult birth—much more difficult than he last time," Luna warned once again as she poured some tea for the Queen.

"I'll be fine. I'm not worried. But my husband will be, once I tell him. I remember the last time," a smile crossed her face again at the recollection. Her Endy had researched the subject so thoroughly that neither the doctor nor the midwife had really been needed. She had no doubt that he would again hold her hand as she screamed her way through the agony…but he needn't worry yet.

She made small talk with Luna as she finished her breakfast. Then she dressed with help from the other woman; since she couldn't reach her feet, she wore soft slippers. After expressing her thanks, Serenity walked down the corridors and the stairs, heading for the field next to the stables and knowing that he was likely to be there with the Generals.

The pain in her belly worsened and sharpened. At first she brushed it aside, but the pain persisted and she realized that she would have to tell him sooner than she'd planned. Her first birthing had taken longer, much longer. By the time she approached the wide stairs to the stables, she'd had to stop time and again, clinging to the wall as she tried to breathe past the rising scream in her throat.

The sun was shining and cast a beautiful light to everything that it touched. Endymion stood parrying, his attention on his opponent, Andrew, but his mind on his wife. She was having troubles with her back pain last night; he suspected that she was undergoing labor, but stubborn as she was, she refused to tell him. He worried about her, but if she needed him, she'd call him.

As he sidestepped a lunge, his eyes caught the flash of the white of her gown. Joy overwhelmed him, but only for a moment, for he immediately realized that something was amiss. Withdrawing and sheathing his sword, he smoothly ran up the stairs, panic overcoming him when she lost her balance and started to fall.

_Bunny!_ He quickened his steps and caught her in his arms, her pale face matted with sweat. _Oh God, Buns, why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me before it's come to this?_

_Sweetheart, I'm sorry; I—_

_Shh…_ He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and lifted her into his arms, charging down the corridors and up the stairs. _We're almost there, Sweetheart. Just—hold on, hold on…_ He called out to the others and asked for doctors and midwives, including Amy and Luna.

_Endy, I have to tell you—_

_Oh, I know, Buns; it's all right—you're going to be fine. We're almost there—_

_No, no, Endy, I really have to—_ Before she could finish her sentence, Amy came intruding into her mind and quickly scanned her body. A little annoyed that she had created such a fuss, Serenity turned to look at her husband and the words died on her lips when she saw the sharp angles of his face and luminous blue of his eyes.

_I won't lose you again,_ he murmured, brushing a kiss to her lips as he shouldered the door to their chambers aside. _Not ever again._

_Oh, Endy,_ she tightened her arms around him and watched as he laid her gently on their great bed, pushing aside blankets and covers and sheets in the process. He started arranging the pillows and paid no heed to Amy as she came in and immediately started charging the servants with arrangements to transform their haven into a birthing room.

_I—don't know if I've said this lately,_ he pressed a kiss to her temple. _I love you. Very much. So much that it hurts._

Coming from her husband, a man of few words and uncommon strength, she knew the significance of the moment—it could not wait a moment longer; she had meant to tell him last night, but he'd stolen the words when he had wrapped himself protectively around her next to the bathtub.

_Endy—_

He pressed a finger to her lips, stroking her jaw and brushing her hair out of her face. His eyes were the color of the ocean; his hair had fallen forward into his eyes and his skin glowed with health.

_You don't have to answer,_ he hastened to say, his eyes shining with love and acceptance. _I—know that my actions have been more than hurtful, and I understand your need for time to reevaluate and readjust. But I just wanted you to know that I love you—and that I always have. It's—_he faltered here, his practiced speech having been lost somewhere between last night and now.

His shirt was almost completely unbuttoned for swordplay. She could see the scar running over his heart and, lifting a shaky hand, traced that scar, brushing aside his shirt. Her vision blurred. She could feel another contraction starting and fought it; she must tell him now—before the pain could distract her! And she watched, entranced, as he took her hand and feathered a kiss over each fingertip. _I love you, Buns. I'm sorry that I caused you so much pain…I'm sorry—_

She resisted the pain and raised a hand against her mouth. _Endy, I—_

_I'm here, I'm here,_ he reassured her, lifting her voluminous skirts. _Don't worry; I'll be here._

_No, that's not what—_ Pain wracked her and she stifled her scream against her hand, tears spilling unheeded down her flushed cheeks. _Endy! Help me—oh Gods, it hurts!_

Her vitals were all over the chart, Endymion realized with a cold start. Having trained in the necessary skills of warfare and being so attuned to her, he scanned her quickly again and did not mention to her that her hold was crushing his hand.

_My Lord—_

_I know!_ Endymion shot back impatiently, concentrating on the Power inside him and sharpening his focus. It was almost impossible to ruthlessly push aside the panic that threatened to overwhelm him in the chaos of their bedchamber. The servants scurried to and fro; most of the Generals and Sentinels, aside from the few required to post guards and another patrolling with Artemis—who had now just received the news and were dashing back to the palace—and Amy, were waiting outside in the antechamber. They were excited for the future, for the fruition of their friends' and leaders' love—but also nervous. The Queen had undergone much physical distress in recent months; the birthing, as Amy and Luna had determined, would be a difficult one; they worried for her, for the King, and for the twins—especially now, after little Leo had been lost to them at so tender an age.

Endymion pressed his hands against her rounded belly, focusing on and widening their Bond, wincing at the pain he encountered but glad that he could at least take away some of her pain—in his own, miniscule way. He shot a beam of energy to her; Power flowed from him to her as he sought to sedate her panicked state. Last time she had been calmer, but this time was special—for both of them, and the outcomes yet unknown.

A long, long moment passed before she was able to catch her breath and bring his hand to her face, kissing his palm like he'd done to her so many times before. The surprised expression on his face brought a faint smile to her lips; he was such a complicated man of contradictions, but he was hers—forever and ever, for all Eternity.

_How are you feeling? Is there anything else I can do?_ He asked anxiously, brushing her hair out of her face, reaching for a cool cloth to press against her flushed cheeks.

_I—I love you,_ the words came tumbling out, now unpracticed for so long. Even now they sounded strange to her own mind… Had she really doubted now, after the War? In the intervening months, had she really doubted him for what he had done? She would have done exactly the same had their positions been switched, she realized now. In doubting him, she had become what she couldn't understand in him. She would have done exactly the same, because she would have wanted to keep him away from danger—

The tears started down her cheeks again and she laughed a hoarse, deprecating little laugh that startled her husband.

_Sweetheart?_

The next contraction was already starting, but she resisted and pulled him close for a kiss. Astonished, he nevertheless returned the kiss, his hands cradling her close. _Sweetheart, are you all right? I—I hadn't expected you to—but now—oh Gods, have you any idea how long I've waited to hear those words—how much I've yearned to hear them?_

_I love you,_ she repeated, fiercely, still resisting the pain. Just a few moments more—she must tell him all that she'd been through—he must know all the truths and untruths and—and the—

The next one ripped through her and she screamed in agony.

He sent another stream of Power to her, hoping to stabilize her vitals. She was crying openly now—and not entirely due to the childbirth. Oh Gods, had he caused her so much pain in those dark, dreary months? Had he caused such deep anguish that even the pains of childbirth could not compare?

_I love you, Buns. Oh Gods, don't leave me now…_

* * *

The Queen watched as her husband raised their daughter's chubby hand and made faces at their son. The children were giggling at their father's antics; in another moment, they had both climbed into his lap and proceeded promptly to fall asleep, sitting up as they were.

Two years had passed since that final battle; Reconstruction was taking its time, but as can be expected in such difficult circumstances, it was no surprise. In fact, it was rather progressing quickly and well. Twenty months had passed since the long, difficult, messy birthing of the twins. He had been with her the entire time, encouraging her when she needed it and biting his tongue in pain when she crushed his hands.

A smile surfaced at the memory. According to the others, her vitals had been all over the charts for the first few hours; her husband had, with great difficulty and skill, managed to stabilize them just before the worst of the pains came. She could still recall the feeling of never-ending guilt that he felt, his face all sharp angles and his eyes the deep sapphire blue she loved so.

His face was now relaxed as he cradled their children against him, rocking them and cooing to them softly. The joys of fatherhood had softened the sharp angles and calmed his sometimes volatile temperament. The last rays of the wintry sun filtered through the curtains, illuminating his strong, handsome frame. The cradle was set next to the rocker chair, to which he had moved to better rock their children. Luna had straightened their bed this morning, but she had taken a short nap in the afternoon and didn't bother to restore their bed to its former pristinely arranged state.

Spring and then summer would be here soon. The flowers would bloom and the soft winds and rides through the shaded forest would come. In two months the birthday of their children would take place. The others had been secretly planning something or other, and the two of them had indulged the others in their plot. Such happiness was precious and so easy to lose; even as Immortals and demigods, they only had so long to live. The others had all found their own happiness and haven; she was aunt to several already and looking forward to the few more that would be here very soon.

She had accepted the calls for coronation—both on the Moon and on Earth. She had invited him to take the crown of the Moon—only a formality, however. She had a crown fashioned—for him only and for the male descendants who would come after them. The Kingdoms were prospering; the peoples were incredibly resilient. Their strength and their faith continually amazed her.

They had never spoken of those dark, dreary months again, not even after the long, strenuous birthing. In the time since, they had cleansed the guilt and the grief from each other's Souls, slowly, carefully, one day at a time. A peace had descended on the subject; there were times as they lay in each other's arms that the wind carried whispers of extraordinary pain and sorrow of that difficult time, but they had both clung tighter to their extraordinary love and held each other closer. Such happiness was so precious; it could be gone so easily, at the blink of an eye, with the shifting winds.

"How long are you going to stand there, Darling?"

She blinked and saw a flash of his boyish smile before his lips settled over hers. A sigh resonated in her as she wrapped her arms around the sweet reality of him.

_I love you, Bunny._

A smile curved her lips.

_Would you care to show me how much, my dear?_

* * *

_In the dawn of Time_

_When the Universe was still young_

_The Divines erected the race of Men_

_The race that shall flourish_

_The race that shall dominate all others_

_The race that shall keep in its possession_

_The Riddle of Love_

_The Divines realized Their folly_

_And forbade the Riddle's discovery_

_For, it is whispered, when the Riddle is unraveled_

_A shadow shall emerge_

_From the depths of the Universe_

_The Divines feared this_

_For They have no control over this Thing_

_This Thing which has been called Love_

_For Love, it is said, fashions Its own Way_

_And so the Divines descended_

_To guard the Riddle and the Universe_

_First appeared the Moon Goddess_

_Followed by her Sentinels_

_Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter_

_And for millennia_

_The Unfathomable Riddle is sheltered_

_Until there comes a time_

_When a Wingèd Goddess descends the Heavens_

_With extraordinary beauty and wisdom_

_And, above all, Power beyond imagination_

_Men shall adore Her_

_Men shall revere Her_

_Men shall worship Her_

_Yet the Goddess_

_She shall disregard all of them_

_Save One_

_For, among the race of Men_

_One shall stand out_

_One whose beauty and wisdom,_

_And, above all, Power_

_Shall rival Hers_

_And that One_

_He will steal Her Heart and Body_

_And, with infinite Love, Her Soul_

_Between them_

_The Unfathomable Riddle shall be discovered and unlocked_

_And a shadow shall emerge from the darkest corners of the Universe_

_A dark shadow that shall alas bring an End to the World_

_But there shall be among Men those who resist_

_And the Goddess shall stand next to Her Soulmate_

_Never wavering, in Her Love or in Her Soul_

_As Men fall, one by one_

_For, it is said_

_Fate is not unkind_

_And Hope always prevails_

_And Love_

_Love always fashions Its own Ways_


End file.
